Bruce Sterling Books

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Bruce Sterling is an American author who writes science fiction, although he wouldn’t call himself a novelist. The author uses terms like ‘Visionary’ and ‘Fantasist’ to describe himself. He’s a ‘science fictional personality’ who occasionally writes fiction instead of a conventional novelist selling genre fiction.

Born in 1954 in Brownsville, Texas, Sterling’s parents took the family to India when he was young, which explains his fascination with Bollywood movies. A graduate of the University of Texas (Degree in Journalism), Sterling has several notable achievements, such as becoming a European Graduate School professor, running a Dungeons and Dragons game with the likes of Warren Spector, and joining ArtCenter College of Design, Pasadena, as a visionary in residence.

The author introduced readers to Nullaqua in 1977 following the publication of his debut novel (Involution Ocean). The story took inspiration from Moby Dick and followed a ship sailing an ocean of dust.

Readers might be more familiar with the Shaper/Mechanist universe because the setting appeared in numerous Bruce Sterling stories from the early 80s. He also edited the ‘Cheap Truth’ fanzine and wrote a column for ‘SF Eye.’

Sterling knew he wanted to become an author after writing short stories in Junior high, reading them out loud, and watching his classmates laugh. His teachers would also nod in approval.

The author blames an uncle for introducing genre fiction to his life by giving Sterling SF paperbacks. He also met published SF writers in college who cemented his love for the field, not to mention the conventions and workshops he attended.

Sterling was fortunate to encounter individuals who mentored and encouraged him to pursue his passion, although the author differs from his peers because he doesn’t want fame.

Getting famous was fun. But once he achieved this goal, Sterling quickly found that fame was far too intrusive for his liking. He understands why other industry professionals yearn for the approval of the masses and the adoration of their readers. But Sterling is happiest operating in fields where most people don’t know him.

This is why he gravitates to creatives, such as software artists, who ply their trade in the genre without actually writing fiction.

The author takes inspiration from the things he sees when he tours Turin in Italy. He combs both physical and virtual libraries for information. Sterling is astounded by the amount of free information littered on the internet in every language imaginable.

Every so often, he will stumble upon curious historical tidbits while scouring archives from previous centuries that inevitably explode into an interesting concept for a story. As an American SF writer, the challenge of penning books that appeal to Italian readers (Sterling moved to Turin, Italy, with his wife in 2007) doesn’t scare him. In fact, some of the author’s original works have been published in Italian. He attends enough Italian conventions to know what his Italian audience wants.

Bruce Sterling Awards

Sterling has won John W. Campbell Memorial, Hugo, and Arthur C. Clarke Awards. He has also received numerous nominations for Hugo, John W. Campbel, and Nebula awards.

Best Bruce Sterling Books

Some people count Sterling among those artists who founded Science Fiction’s cyberpunk movement. Sterling’s best books include:

Schismatrix Plus: The Shapers and Mechanists are offshoots of humanity, and yet they couldn’t be more different. The Shapers use genetic engineering to enhance the human mind and body. Their aristocratic and elitist personas set them apart from the Mechanists, who seek immortality by merging with machines.

Neither faction has a place on earth. They were ejected from the planet a while ago. Abelard Lindsay trained as a Shaper diplomat. When his life takes an unexpected turn, Lindsey must forge a new future in exile. His journey across the solar system will introduce the aristocrat to the many human factions vying for power.

Islands In The Net: Humanity has entered the digital age. Information is the most powerful commodity. It controls the world, which is why conglomerates lock data away in computers, limiting full access to a few privileged souls.

Laura Webster is a rising star in Rizome Corporation: a career woman with a husband and a child. She doesn’t expect destiny to drag her into a dark landscape filled with black market data pirates and high-tech voodoo.

When Does The Next Bruce Sterling book come out?

Bruce Sterling doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Robot Artists and Black Swans: The Italian Fantascienza Stories and was released on March, 30th 2021. It is the newest book in the Bruce Sterling Collections.

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