Fathers and Sons

[Timothy C. May]

Penny Padgett wrote:
> 
> Stuart Moulthrop quotes _GR_:
> 
> "But _We_ can live forever, in a clean, honest, purified Electroworld --"
> 
> > Can you say "Neuromancer?"
> 
> I don't for a moment doubt Pynchon's influence on the cyberpunks in
> general, and Gibson in particular.  What I'm not quite so sure of is
> Gibson's influence on Pynchon, as was claimed by an earlier post.

Gibson has of course publicly discussed his indebtedness to Pynchon,
while Pynchon has just as certainly _not_ discussed his influences, at
least not recently. (An intro to "Slow Learner" written in 1991 or
later might've shed some light.)

For Gibson's comments on Pynchon, I recall a longish interview
with/between Leary and Gibson, in "Mondo 2000," several years ago
(possibly when it was still called "Reality Hackers" or "High
Frontiers"). Leary mentions having a kind-hearted guard in his jail
throw him some reading material, a dog-eared copy of "Gravity's
Rainbow," which Leary then devoured under what might be called optimal
reading conditions. 

As we have no commentary from Pynchon about the (possible) influence
of Gibson, Sterling, "Blade Runner," et. al. on "Vineland," we can't
have this same kind of certainty.

--Tim May


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