Pushing Back at the Shabbiness of Simulacra: An Interview With William Gibson

Cover of Canadian Notes & Queries - Issue 81

In January 2011 I was given the opportunity to interview William Gibson for issue 81 of Canadian Notes & Queries, despite not being a journalist and having no real experience conducting interviews—this was, in fact, only the second interview I’d ever conducted, the first being a last-minute assignment to talk to Dave Clark, formerly of the Rheostatics, when he stopped by the community radio station where I was volunteering as host of a contemporary world music show. The interview was posted on CNQ‘s website for a time, but was taken down after their recent redesign. Since the rights have long since reverted to me, I am reposting it here for posterity. Special thanks to Mr. Gibson for being so graceful in the face of my inexperience, and saving me from myself. William Gibson is a visionary author who revitalized science fiction with the hard-boiled cyberpunk novel Neuromancer in 1984, and… Continue Reading