No Maps for These Territories

He intended the notion of cyberspace as metaphor, but his readers-a nascent gen of programmers and hackers--took it much more literally. The result: the Internet as we know it. Its conceptual pioneer? William Gibson, sci-fi writer, philosopher, and here, a genial muser on the creative process, Bill Burroughs, drugs, the 1960s, and even the birth of American porn. You don't have to be a media maven or Web geek to appreciate Gibson's insights, which happen from the backseat of a car whizzing through a `postgeographic world.' Cut in are readings from his work and perspective offered by the likes of Bruce Sterling and U2's Bono. Director Mark Neale aptly uses music video-style cuts and snippets of technology to create a playful disorientation that already seems dated. But he couldn't have picked a more fascinating character, whose values embrace such concepts as living in the moment. Ironically, Gibson implants a very human heart into the digital cavity of the cyberbeast.