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.

Former Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin performs a flip while throwing the ceremonial first pitch during a baseball game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Tampa Bay Rays, Friday, July 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo by Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)

A model holds a 18,18 carat pink diamond called “Fortune Pink” that could fetch 30 million U.S. dollars during a preview at Christie’s before the auction sale in Geneva, Switzerland on November 2, 2022. (Photo by Denis Balibouse/Reuters)

Marcus Semien #2 of the Texas Rangers is doused with sports drink after the game against the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field on June 03, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

People walk along the sea front at Blyth in Northumberland in North East England on Monday, May 24, 2021. (Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)

Coronavirus vaccinated audience members watch Saudi prominent singer Mohammed Abdu as he performs at the newly built Super Dome, in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, late Thursday, July 8, 2021. The concert is organized by the Saudi General Entertainment Authority after the kingdom lifted coronavirus restrictions on events in May. (Photo by Amr Nabil/AP Photo)

In this Tuesday, June 4, 2019, photo, a Yamanote Line train travels above commuters walking across the crossing during evening rush hours in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo. Operated by the East Japan Railway Co., the Yamanote Line in Tokyo makes a loop around the center of the city, connecting 29 stations that include key stops such as Shinjuku, Shibuya and Ikebukuro. A complete loop of about an hour offers scenes of Japanese daily lives. (Photo by Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)

Sellers prepare the camel for “huge camel market” where hundreds of camels are sold in Nauakchott, the capital of Mauritania on May 16, 2023. Camels, being the main source of livelihood in Arab countries, are used for transportation and nutrition. (Photo by Annika Hammerschlag/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)