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.

Sulphur miners haul sulphur up an arduous path out of Indonesia’s Ijen volcano. The average carry out of the volcano is 70 kilograms per load per miner. The all-time record carry was 120 kilograms in one load. Extraordinary numbers given most of the miners only weigh around 55 kilograms. Ijen volcano, Indonesia, 2012. (Photo by Hugh Brown/South West News Service)

The sun rises behind The Royal Liver Building in Liverpool, Merseyside on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. (Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)

An eight-year-old St Bernard with the longest canine tongue in the world, measuring 18.58cm (7.31in) in length, as recorded by the Guinness World Records: Amazing Animals, in South Dakota, USA. (Photo by Kevin Scott Ramos/GWR/PA Wire)

These stunning photos act as postcards for one photographer, who has traveled all over the globe, braving freezing temperatures to create the ultimate time lapse video. Photographer Dustin Farrell, 36, spent four years perfecting his technique and traveling all over the world in his quest to capture the most beautiful time lapses of nature. (Photo by Dustin Farrell/Caters News)

Cotswold gamekeeper shoots amazing pictures of British wildlife – without the aid of long lenses and elaborate techniques. The photos may look like they have been shot from miles away – but amazingly Adam Tatlow is actually just feet away from his wild subjects. Photo: Young fawn shelters in the wood. He is so at one with nature that he knows how to call animals to him, and often gets within 30ft of them. (Photo by Adam Tatlow/BNPS)

The remarkable scene was captured by amateur wildlife photographer Ian Salisbury, 62, at the South Luangwa National park in Zambia. The crocodile grabs hold of the elephant's trunk, but it soon becomes clear that he has bitten off a lot more than he can chew by grabbing the huge beast. Mr Salisbury said the elephant “fled rapidly into the bush” after the attack. (Photo by Ian Salisbury/Caters News)