I definitely agree with this, although when Andy said:
> I think that The Mezzanine and Dark Decade do
>belong together, despite their vastly different styles,
>simply due to the common lack of a plot which is rare the
>traditional novel form, though apparently not so rare in
>the postmodern era. In both these books, the language is
>what is important, and not the events. The reader is meant
>to find meaning in the words and not in the actions of the
>characters.
I disagree with this statement: although they both share a lack of
plot, i don't think that the language itself is what's important in
Mezzanine. Instead, i think it's the sharing of experience and the
categorization of intimate thoughts in general, not necessarily the language
he used to present these ideas. even though Howie's actions are few, we are
supposed to find some meaning (however little) in the *process* of these
actions as they are explained by his stream of consciousness style.
> Lastly, I would group Neuromancer and Empire of the
>Senseless together. These two novels share a common
>cyberpunk style, and also share the common theme of the
>loss of humanity in the future. The future in both of
>these novels is bleak, and Godless. Humanity has been
>degraded by biological alterations which leads to a loss of
>identity.
I agree with Andy here--the fast-paced style of these novels and
their cyberpunk themes link them together (not to mention a shared plot
line). I think that the major difference in these books is how acker uses
gibson's plot in order to play around with language itself--while describing
situations, actions, and especially when describing bodies--which links
Empire with Dark Decade for me.
APril Tate