William Gibson is not one of the authors that spits out novels like a machine – in his long and fruitful career he has only published 11 novels andof short stories and articles in the tens each. Still his impact on modern literature was huge – the “noir prophet” of the cyberpunk subgenre (that he was one of the pioneers of) has predicted the rise of reality television, virtual reality, video games and the internet. He is a Hugo and Nebula award winning science fiction writer, with a special eye for what the future might bring.

A general view of atmosphere during 2016 New York Comic Con – Day 1 on October 6, 2016 in New York City. The annual event offers pop culture fans exhibitors and displays of popular video games, movies and comic books and many people attending dress as their favorite character. (Photo by Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images)

Model and Reebok Easytone Ambassador Miranda Kerr reveals a 3D image shot by Rankin during a Reebok Satisfaction photo call on the roof of the Bayerisch Hof Hotel on April 17, 2012 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Reebok)

A baby Asian elephant, born only two days before, stands next to his mother Nova in its enclosure at Tierpark Berlin Zoo on May 10, 2012 in Berlin, Germany. The male elephant calf, who does not have a name yet, weighs 102kg and is 91cm tall. (Photo by Timur Emek/dapd/Sean Gallup)

Actress Arta Dobroshi poses at the “Trois Mondes” photocall during the 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 25, 2012 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker)

The Apple l, the first Apple computer made by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976, is seen on display at Sotheby's on June 8, 2012 in New York City. Sotheby's called the computer “an exceptionally rare, working example with original Apple cassette interface, operation manuals and a rare BASIC Users' Manual”. (Photo by Andrew Burton/AFP)

Water gushes out from the Xiaolangdi Reservoir on the Yellow River during a sand-washing operation on June 20, 2012 in Luoyang, China. The sand-washing operation, which started on June 19 and will last for about 20 days, is conducted to clear out the silt deposits at the dam. (Photo by China Foto Press)

“The last known individual of the subspecies was a male named Lonesome George (Spanish: El Solitario Jorge/George), who died on 24 June 2012. In his last years, he was known as the rarest creature in the world. George served as a potent symbol for conservation efforts in the Galápagos and internationally”. – Wikipedia. (Photo by Rodrigo Buendia/AFP)