William Gibson “Virtual Light” First Edition Vintage Hardcover 1993

📖 Virtual Light by William Gibson (1993, Bantam Spectra) — the first volume of Gibson’s Bridge Trilogy, shifting his speculative vision from cyberspace into a grounded, near-future California. This copy is a stated first edition, first printing with the original $21.95 price on the jacket barcode.

QUICK FACTS

• Author: William Gibson (b. 1948)
• Publisher: Bantam Books / Bantam Spectra, New York
• Year: 1993 (September, first edition, first printing)
• Format: Hardcover in dust jacket
• Pages: ~352 | ISBN: 0-553-07499-7
• Condition: Near Fine / VG+ to Near Fine — full report below

THE STORY

After a major earthquake damages the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, the structure becomes an improvised squatter settlement known simply as the Bridge. Bicycle messenger Chevette Washington steals a pair of virtual-light glasses at a hotel party, unaware they contain concealed data of enormous value. Former cop Berry Rydell, working private security, is drawn into the pursuit. Their paths converge as corporate interests, violent enforcers, and the Bridge community collide over plans to redevelop San Francisco through advanced nanotechnology.

Published the same year as Gibson’s shift away from the cyberspace-focused Sprawl trilogy, the novel was a finalist for the 1994 Hugo Award for Best Novel and placed fourth in the 1994 Locus poll for best science fiction novel. Gibson described the book as a version of the contemporary world with the volume turned up — less futurism than alternate history.

THIS EDITION

The Bantam Spectra first edition, first printing (September 1993) is identified by the number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 on the copyright page, along with the stated imprint. The book design is by Harakawa Sisco, Inc. Red paper boards with a quarter black cloth spine, gilt lettering. Printed simultaneously in the United States and Canada.

COVER ART

The dust jacket features artwork by Don Brautigam (illustration © 1993). The front cover presents a close-up of a face rendered in dark blue and grey tones, overlaid with luminous yellow and orange bands suggesting virtual-reality visors or data streams — a classic cyberpunk aesthetic. The back cover continues the motif with a stylized face wearing a visor, surrounded by critical praise from Tom Robbins, Douglas Coupland, William Hauptman, and Robert Crais.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Hugo Award finalist, 1994 — one of the most acclaimed science fiction novels of its decade
• First book in the Bridge Trilogy (followed by Idoru, 1996, and All Tomorrow’s Parties, 1999)
• Gibson’s transitional novel: a move from abstract cyberspace to embodied, urban, near-future fiction that influenced a generation of writers
• The Bay Bridge settlement has become one of Gibson’s most analyzed fictional settings in academic scholarship on urban space, privatization, and informal communities

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What edition is this? Stated first edition, first printing, Bantam Spectra, September 1993. Number line confirms first printing.

What condition is it in? Near Fine book / VG+ to Near Fine dust jacket — full condition report below.

Is the dust jacket price-clipped? Yes, the front flap price is clipped. The original $21.95 price remains intact on the back cover barcode.

FOR COLLECTORS

First printings of Virtual Light in dust jacket are not especially scarce, but copies in this condition — clean text block, firm binding, bright gilt, minimal jacket wear — are the ones that hold value. The Don Brautigam jacket art is the primary visual draw for display.

Condition Report

Overall Grade: Book: Near Fine (NF) / Dust jacket: Very Good+ (VG+)/Near Fine (NF)

Cover & Spine: Quarter black cloth spine over red paper boards. Gilt lettering on spine bright and sharp, spine cloth uniformly black all around. Corners and spine ends are crisp, not rubbed.

Dust Jacket: Jacket is price clipped on front cover flap. Multi-finish surface is crisp, some very minimal surface scuffs on back cover from shelving.

Text Block & Pages: Text block is clean and square with uniform off-white pages. No internal markings, foxing, or age-toning.

Binding: Binding is firm, tight, and square, like new.

See accompanying images for full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

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