William Gibson (b. 1948) is a science fiction writer from Vancouver, Canada. His most famous novel is Neuromancer (Ace Books, 1984), a dark vision of the near future in which Gibson coined the term "cyberspace" to refer to a matrix of electronic data controlled by powerful corporations. His other sci-fi novels include Count Zero (Arbor House, 1986), Mona Lisa Overdrive (Bantam, 1988), and Virtual Light (Bantam, 1993). "Burning Chrome" was first published in 1985 in Omni, a magazine for people interested in science and science fiction themes. (See also Gibson's story "Johnny Mnemonic" in Chapter 1.)
"Burning Chrome" (Composing Cyberspace p. 369) is not available online.
1. After rereading the story, summarize the main events and write brief descriptions of the main characters -- the narrator Jack, Bobby, Rikki, and Chrome. Consider the motivations of each character: What does each of them want, or what seems to drive them? For example, Jack says "I couldn't remember when I had been happy" (¶ 156). Considering what you know or can infer about him, why do you think Jack agrees with Bobby to burn Chrome?
2. Gibson creates the futuristic setting of this story partly by using a specialized vocabulary of terms that sometimes aren't defined until later, or whose meaning the reader must infer from other clues. By yourself or with other readers, make a list of these unfamiliar terms -- including cowboy, ice, matrix, and simstim -- and construct definitions. What is the closest analogous term for each of these from today's world? How do the two terms compare -- for example, how similar is Gibson's matrix to today's Internet? Why is each of these terms important to the story? For example, what seems to be the social, legal, and ethical status of "cowboys" in this future society?
3. Describe how information is controlled and valued in this future world. In what ways or to what extent is knowledge equivalent to power in this story? What kinds of power does information provide, and for whom? What seem to be the major social forces or institutions seeking to control information, and what relationships appear to exist among them?
4. To what extent do you think the fictional social conditions and status of information that you determine in response to question 3 reflect actual social conditions or power relations today? What major differences do you see -- such as in the status or power of government, corporations, organized crime, or computer hackers/crackers?
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