Noon, Jeff

(British, 1958– )

Noon is sometimes cited as Britain's answer to American cyberpunk author, William Gibson, and the similarities in style—staccato and often jagged—and subject matter—highly coloured, often drug influenced, free-wheeling narratives—are close. But Noon sets his narratives in Manchester, exploiting both its musical legacy and atmospheric, post-industrial decline. His first two books, Vurt (1993) and Pollen (1995), are essentially futuristic quest novels. Perhaps the easiest Noon novel to start with is Automated Alice (1996), Noon's self-proclaimed ‘trequel’ to Lewis Carroll's Alice books. Although Alice steps into futuristic Mancunian nightmare, the style is less convoluted and Noon's abundant gifts as a story-teller are more readily accessible.

Philip K. Dick, William Gibson  LM