Photo: THE VERGE

Author, journalist,
editor, critic, and futurist Bruce Sterling helped spawned the
cyberpunk movement with his numerous short stories and early novels
THE ARTIFICIAL KID (1980), SCHISMATRIX (1985), and the John W.
Campbell Memorial Award-winning ISLANDS IN THE NET (1988). He edited
the sub-genre’s seminal manifesto MIRRORSHADES: THE CYBERPUNK
ANTHOLOGY (1986). With his fellow cyberpunk William Gibson, Sterling
co-wrote THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE (1990), which was one of the first
novels to bring the concept of steampunk to the masses. Sterling’s
other acclaimed novels include HEAVY WEATHER (1994), HOLY FIRE
(1996), DISTRACTION (1998; Arthur C. Clarke Award), ZEITGEIST (2000),
THE ZENITH ANGLE (2004), THE CARYATIDS (2009), and LOVE IS STRANGE: A
PARANORMAL ROMANCE (2012).

He was awarded Hugos
for his novelette “Bicycle Repairman” and “Taklamakan.” His
numerous shorter works have been collected in CRYSTAL EXPRESS (1989),
蝉の女王
[Japanese] (1989), GLOBALHEAD (1992), A GOOD
OLD-FASHIONED FUTURE (1999), VISIONARY IN RESIDENCE (2006),
ASCENDANCIES: THE BEST OF BRUCE STERLING (2007), GOTHIC HIGH-TECH
(2011), and TRANSREAL CYBERPUNK (2016 with Rudy Rucker). Beginning
with THE HACKER CRACKDOWN: LAW AND DISORDER ON THE ELECTRONIC
FRONTIER (1992), Sterling has produced several exceptional nonfiction
books: PARCO GIOCHI CON PENA DI MORTE [ITALIAN] (2001 with William
Gibson), TOMORROW NOW: ENVISIONING THE NEXT FIFTY YEARS (2002), and
SHAPING THINGS  (2005).

Currently living in
Turin, Italy with his wife, political activist Jasmina Tešanović, where he often produces stories for the European markets under the names of
Boris Srebro and Bruno Argento. Sterling’s most recent project is the
forthcoming PIRATE UTOPIA.

All of us at Tachyon
wish the remarkable Bruce a happy birthday. Keep staying one
step ahead of the rest of us.

For more info on PIRATE UTOPIA, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by John Coulthart