Early life thumb|upright|right|William S. Burroughs at his 70th birthday party in 1984. Burroughs, more than any other beat generation writer, was an important influence on the adolescent Gibson.
Early life thumb|upright|right|William S Burroughs at his 70th birthday party in 1984 Burroughs more than any other beat generation writer was an important influence on the adolescent Gibson