Plot summary, “The Difference Engine” by Bruce Sterling, William Gibson in 6 Minutes - Book Review скачать в хорошем качестве

Plot summary, “The Difference Engine” by Bruce Sterling, William Gibson in 6 Minutes - Book Review

The Difference Engine (1990) by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling is a groundbreaking steampunk novel often credited with popularizing the genre. This plot summary follows three intertwined characters—Sybil Gerard, Edward Mallory, and Laurence Oliphant—whose lives are shaped by a mysterious box of Engine punch cards in an alternate Victorian England powered by early computers. Blending science fiction, alternative history, espionage, and detective intrigue, the story explores technology’s impact on society and human ambition. As political conspiracies unfold, the cards’ true nature—proving Gödel’s Theorem—reveals deeper philosophical questions about logic and machine intelligence. This summary highlights a richly detailed world where history is rewritten by steam and data, culminating in a self-aware machine that hints at the dawn of artificial consciousness.