October 12, 1998

Reviews of Tea from an Empty Cup

Matrix 133, Sep/Oct 1998:

Fast-paced and exciting, it's a wittily written cyberpunk thriller largely set in virtual reality, where there seems to be a killer at large. . . . Whether you treat it as a satire or simply as a thriller, it's that rare animal, 'a good read'. Recommended.

San Francisco Chronicle, September 1998

Cadigan is often identified as a cyberpunk writer, although I find her work far more straight-forward and credible than that of others in that subgenre. . . . A plausible mystery, believable characters and situations and a clean, crisp writing style make this one a sure winner.

Sunday Express, September 13, 1998

The title refers to the illusion of creating something from nothing, an idea that's at work throughout different levels of the novel and can, to a degree, symbolize the virtual reality setting of the story. . . . What begins as a routine cyberspace mystery has, by the final chapters, become something altogether trickier.

Publishers Weekly, September 21, 1998

A gritty and downbeat tale of multiple murders, exchanged identities and cybernetic sado-masochism. Konstantin, the embittered cop, and Yuki, the rootless nisei, are effective protagonists, but, as is often the case in Cadigan's work, the author's pyrotechnic style and intensely detailed descriptions of cyberspace are the major attractions. This well-done example of cyberpunk noire detective fiction should especially appeal to fans of William Gibson.

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