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.

Some lost at sea memorials are touched by genius. The images they convey are timeless and universal – like all great art. The designer and sculptor of this unforgettable memorial in Wales is Brian Fell.

Black-headed gulls sit on pickets at a riverside in Tokyo, Japan, December 27, 2015. (Photo by Toru Hanai/Reuters)

Five-year-old Julian Becker and his 165 pound pet Newfoundland Max have been best buds around all their lives. To commemorate the friendship and to keep Julian's father, a Naval officer who is often away, in the loop, Julian's mom Stasha began taking photos. Photo: Hats off (or on) to Julian for sharing his blanket with his good buddy. Not that the furry beast needs it... (Photo by Stasha Becker/Rex Features)

Wellcome trust employee Zoe Middleton poses behind an artwork entitled “My Soul” by Katharine Dowson, which consists of a laser etched lead chrystal glass formation in the shape of a brain, and was created using the artists own MRI Scan, at Wellcome Collection on March 27, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Erica Daly, a District Nurse Team Leader at Mersey Care NHS, stands in front of the “Liver Bird Wings”, an artwork by Paul Curtis on a wall within Liverpool's Baltic Triangle on April 29, 2020. (Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)

Iraqi government forces are seen near the Falahat village west of Fallujah on June 27, 2016. Iraqi forces took the Islamic State group's last positions in the city of Fallujah on June 26, establishing full control over one of the jihadists' most emblematic bastions after a month-long operation. (Photo by Moadh Al-Dulaimi/AFP Photo)

A woman walks past a caricature of Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in east London, Britain November 18, 2016. (Photo by Andrew Winning/Reuters)