Vacuum Flowers Hardcover – January 1, 1987 by Michael Swanwick
 
Arbor House: 1987. FIRST EDITION FIRST PRINTING hardcover with dustjacket. The author's second novel, preceded by his well-received IN THE DRIFT (1985). This is an early example of the cyberpunk genre, and features one of the earliest uses of the concept of "wetware."
 
A cyberpunk thriller from Nebula Award winner Michael Swanwick that explores bioengineering, wetware, and the riddle of personality
 
Rebel Elizabeth Mudlark is a recorded personality owned by corporate giant Deutsche Nakasone. When Rebel’s personality is uploaded to persona tester Eucrasia Walsh and burned into her brain, Rebel escapes the corporation and takes off across an exotically transformed solar system, hijacking Eucrasia’s body and becoming the most wanted fugitive in existence.
 
A fast-paced technological thriller, Vacuum Flowers allows the reader to consider the implications of bioengineering while providing an entertaining and dynamic story. Reminiscent of the innovative work of Philip K. Dick, William Gibson, and Bruce Sterling, this high-tech work of science fiction carves out a niche all its own with themes as relevant today as when it was first published.
 
4.13