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Title: Viva la difference
Review: A fascinating yarn woven around the idea that Babbage's "difference engine," the precursor to the computer, was put together despite the actual limitations of the time. Using real historical figures-- many of whom are forgotten--Gibson and Sterling depict a London of the 1800s which is heavily polluted and corrupted by "thinking engines." Gibson's style and prose are surprisingly dulled in this collaboration, whereas Sterling's ecological and sociological ideas abound. The work is not for everyone, but whenever you are starved for some original Gibson or Sterling, then give this book a whirl.
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