‘Rock On’ by Pat Cadigan

Cadigan was a core part of the cyberpunk movement and is the only woman in the Mirrorshades anthology. She was also the first person to win the Arthur C Clarke Award twice. However, both these novels – Synners (1992) and Fools (1995) – are out of print and, as far as I know, hasn’t published anything in the last ten years apart from novelisations for shit films. I know Cadigan is still active in fandom but did she just decide to stop writing or was it a market imposed decision?

Anyway, ‘Rock On’ is something of a prelude to Synners and that is its downfall. I love the delirous tone but it is just too scant; there is space to evoke a time and a place and a state of mind but nothing further.

Punkosity: ***
Quality: **