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.

Tourists in traditional costumes visit a rose garden during a rose cultural festival on April 27, 2021 in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province of China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

People wearing mushroom hats stand in front of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 14, 2021. (Photo by Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

Women wearing traditional dresses dance next to Cathedral–Mosque of Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain, 26 May 2021, to celebrate the Cordoba Fair that was suspended due to coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic for a second consecutive year. The Cordoba Fair is held every year in May for a week during which flamenco, food, and wine are the main attractions for thousands of people. (Photo by Salas/EPA/EFE)

A soldier reacts after falling off a horse as members of the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, arrive at Green Park for a gun salute celebrating the King's birthday in London on November 14, 2022. King Charles III is celebrating his first birthday as monarch as he turns 74. (Photo by Daniel Leal/AFP Photo)

Anti government protesters splash water on each other as they celebrate the traditional Songkran new year festival during a protest in Bangkok, Thailand, 13 April 2022. (Photo by Diego Azubel/EPA/EFE)

(L-R) Models Jasmine Tookes, Paloma Elsesser, Barbara Palvin and Ashley Graham prepare backstage at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2024 on October 15, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret)

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, appear in the sky over the Bamburgh lighthouse at Stag Rock in Northumberland, England on September 28, 2016. (Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Wire via ZUMA Press)