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The Difference Engine
The Difference Engine
Author: William Gibson, Bruce Sterling
The Difference Engine is an alternate history novel by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling. It is a prime example of the steampunk sub-genre; It posits a Victorian Britain in which great technological and social change has occurred after entrepreneurial inventor Charles Babbage succeeded in his ambition to build a mechanical computer called Engine...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9781480541856
ISBN-10: 1480541850
Publication Date: 8/1/2013
Edition: Unabridged
Rating:
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0 stars, based on 0 rating
Publisher: Brilliance Audio on CD Unabridged
Book Type: Audio CD
Other Versions: Paperback, Hardcover
Members Wishing: 0
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Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed The Difference Engine on + 101 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This is an "And" book. (William Gibson and Bruce Sterling.) I think publishers push this lousy idea. I feel Gibson could be a real force in contemporary English Literature- every once in a while he throws lighting bolts that take your breath away. Sterling I'm not familiar with- have to read him soon. This novel is a clever "What if...?" book. Logic systems do not have to be driven electrically to compute, and what if Brittania still ruled? It's a good read.
robn avatar reviewed The Difference Engine on + 9 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
The book is good, but not the best writing that Gibson has done. The setting is pre-industrial London and is something of an alternate history book. The characters are well written and the plot travels well except for a somewhat jarring jump about 3/4 of the way through when the main protagonists are changed and the last chapter, which is a random smattering of "writings of the time". I felt I could tell which parts were written by each author and I preferred those I feel were Gibsons, who is one of my favorite authors.
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srhen avatar reviewed The Difference Engine on + 10 more book reviews
I expected more. I like steam-punk and Gibson is generally a good author, but the sudden changes in perspective were a distraction. The novel suddenly jumped from first person perspective of a prostitute to the protagonist, and then ended in news clippings.
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reviewed The Difference Engine on
Great premise. I wish the stories and the characters were more fleshed out.


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