William Gibson was born on March 17, 1948 in Conway, S.C.. He grew up in a small town in Virginia and developed an interest in science fiction. He dropped out of high school and moved to Canada, where he eventually graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1977. Gibson earned his place in science fiction literary history with the publication of Neuromancer in 1984. Considered the first breakthrough novel written in the cyberpunk style, it won the three major science fiction awards; the Phillip K. Dick, The Hugo, and the Nebula. Set in the fast-paced world of the information superhighway, Gibson shows the negative effects of dealing with technology in cyberspace. His other works, including Mona Lisa Overdrive and the screenplay for the film Johnny Mnemonic, are filled with cynicism, high technology, and underground countercultures.
