In a genre that is constantly begging accreditation, it is refreshing to read someone like Noon who obviously has a great handle on the uses of warped reality for teaching something about the world we live in. Noon's great gift for driving prose does not quite reach the emotional validity of Jonathan Lethem, but far surpasses the general meaningless trash-sci-fi that clutters up the bookstore shelves and makes it embarrassing to claim one's self as a sci-fi reader/writer. Vurt definitely belongs in the library of the Clockwork Orange lover. Reading it is a lot like entering a vurt -- a life-sized videogame that has no fatal holes -- it makes real life seem somewhat mundane once you finish. You end with the realization that, much like playing a well-made, involving game, the second time won't be as pleasurable (because it is so plot-driven), but not reading it anymore will leave you bereft of all those great, flashing, driving images. The worst part of a free fall is that nasty stop at the end.

In this, his first book, Jeff Noon has created an original futuristic world which is at times familiar yet sometimes strange. The atmosphere he creates is dark, moody, unusual, seedy, the underbelly of society, yet is somehow exciting, seductive, heroic and visionary.

The book introduces a lingo of the future which makes the first chapter or so a little unfamiliar, however, one soon picks it up and understands the meaning, and the language itself is a part of the experience of this book. Many parallels in the book are created such as drugs and feathers etc which lend it a certain familiarity. When first published it was a very original work, but I can't help but feel that subsequent films have borrowed ideas from this book, such as the Matrix.

A rollercoaster ride which twists and turns all the way to it's conclusion. I think Jeff Noon must have done curious yellow to have thought up this book! An exciting original read hence 5 stars.

I am not the world's biggest science fiction fan, but Jeff Noon just may have converted me to his world. This book was just a little something I picked up to bide my time in the airport, and it quickly turned into something that rarely occurs in my life... a favorite book. Noon's portrayal of this bizarre world where feathers take you to alternate universes is not so far off from the truth, and the allegory of Vurt is so perfect in its expression and imagination that it's hard to escape the world of Vurt once you've put the book down. And you won't ever want to put it down. The characters are real and imaginary at the same time... reading into their lives is like falling in love with your fantasies. Read it now... it's cheaper than drugs and there's no come down. I promise.

At times surprising and fresh, at other times cliched and dull, Jeff Noon's book of short stories and story fragments is an uneven, but occasionally rewarding collection which reads like re-heated William Gibson at times, adolescent blather at other times, and once in awhile like fresh, thought-provoking cyber fiction.

Much of the book already seems incredibly dated, especially the stories which revolve around dj culture. Very 1991.

Regardless, Noon has a wonderful imagination and when he strikes a fresh note, it rings clearly and resonates for pages.

Pixel Juice is a collection of 50 short stories, all pulled screaming from the swirling psychadelicatessen that is Jeff Noon's brain. Actually, "stories" isn't right; certainly, some of them are straight narrative tales, but then there's the instruction booklet to "PIMP! - The Boardgame", (social satire disguised as a family game) or the memo titled "Product Recall: Marylin Monroe" (which combines futuristic sex toys with strange viruses). Noon uses just about every narrative construct under the sun: stream-of-conciousness, first-second-and-third person perspectives; poetry, prose, letters, journals - all are used by Noon to transcribe the apparently endless flood of ideas which collect in his brain.

Pixel Juice also rewards those who re-read the book; there are word games which ring a big smug smile to the face when they're figured out (see how quickly you decipher "Metaphorazine" or "Alphabox"). There are references between stories; the young lad in "Junior Pimp" mentions that pimping is just like a game - tying in to "PIMP! - The Boardgame". That story makes reference to "Fetish Booth #7" and the lead character of FB #7 is mentioned in several of the other tales. Things like this keep the reader darting back through the book and smiling every time they spot a connection. Heck, there's even a poem towards the end of the book which sums up the stories so far and takes the mick out of the author! Everywhere you turn, there's a surprise an a twist, from the almost conventional horror story to the dreamlike beginning and end tales.

And contrary to what some have said, prior knowledge of Noon's other work isn't entirely neccessary. Although there are some stories which are set firmly in the Vurt universe, it's pretty easy for the reader to catch up with what's happening.

This book just blew me away. I think it is the most astounding piece of writing it has ever been my privilege to read. To be honest, I think that it probably benefits from reading a bit of Noon's stuff previously, as it gives you some background information on characters that you have met already, which is always nice. But it does so much more than that. The way that at the end of a story, he might tell the whole thing again, but in haiku, is just an example of his wordplay, with a word used as much for it's rhythm and feel as for it's actual definition.

I hate short stories. Can't abide them, even by my favourite authors. They are normally so uninvolving, only trying to shock you, because it's the easiest emotion to inspire. Not so with this. I can't extol the virtues of this book enough. Read this book or die.

wide.

"Cobralingus" was my introduction to Noon's work...the processes he used to remix/process text are a bit "fuzzy" compared to the well documented algorithms used by the Oulipo writers...but his techniques yield some very nice pieces and have enticed me to check out his other work...

Best for fans on Noon's who like him not only for Vurt, but for the way he likes to play with language and music. A bit pretentious at first, it may take a while to appreciate it's beauty. He challenges conventional notions of literture, but who hasn't? Luckily, he starts with an idea that is still original which seems to be based on his own desire to explore the bounds of language.

This is an experiment...Cobralingus shows you behind the secret door where Noon recreates the modern novel. It is an instruction manual, a poetry book, an art book, a short story collection, and more all in one sleek designer package.

Remember, reading Jeff Noon makes you happy.

this was a really good book, i immidiatly picked it up after reading VURT (which in my opinion is the best book ever so read it!) I went into reading this book with very high expectations because VURT was soooo good. Nymphomation was good dont get me wrong i enjoyed it a lot but towards the end it gets a little stretched out. This is another Noon masterpiece but take my advice and read Vurt first.

I found Jeff Noon's "Vurt" to be an extraordinarily exciting head trip through his most phenomenal imagination; I loved it!

"Nymphomation" has much of the fascinating style and energy that Vurt is very capable of, but seems to lack substance for me.

As before, I loved being immersed in Noon's scrambled vision of the almost future. I breathlessly trailed along with his characters racing towards their uncertain fates as their dark world of Manchester bubbled and squirmed under the influence of the Blurbflies that were inexorably saturating their consciousness.

And then, and then...... no biggy.

If you have the time, read this one for the trip, but not for the destination.

My god, read this book. Jeff Noon is one of the few science fiction writers out there who is writing on all cylinders. This tells a story of lottery-mania, restaurants, love, gambling, obsession and life in all its wasted glory.

Remember, reading Jeff Noon makes you smart.

Jeff Noon's Pollen is an idea farm waiting for harvest. It begins with the energy and promise of Vurt, but never commits to the story it started. It progresses by layering every possible scenario up to the last minute, cramming ideas into the final third that are never explored to their potential. Jeff Noon writes his books on a continuum, each referencing the others and the author in a witty entanglement. Unfortunately, at times, Noon's style of weaving references convolutes and denies the story it's climax. Pollen is a fair read and full of interesting ideas each awaiting its own novel. For now, Noon's other books execute his ideas more aptly. Still, a wild, fun read and for Jeff Noon fans a necessary, sometimes tedious one.

I would have hated to have been Jeff Noon confronted with the task of following-up Vurt. How do you write a book that'll grab the interest of the legions of fans you found with Vurt but not rehash the Vurt story? Pollen is the answer. Set again in Manchester (now on my must-see list when I next travel to Britain, solely due to Noon's novels), Pollen tells a strange, seductive tale of genetic engineering gone very awry, where man, dog and plant all begin to merge and ghost-cops chase and dead things hitch rides in netherzones and it all makes wonderful nonsense. Noon is really the Lewis Carroll of our time--and for that reason alone, he is very worth reading. Vurt first, then Pollen, then Needle in the Groove. A trip very worth taking.

Although I know this is not the popular opinion, I found "Pollen" to be a better book than "Vurt". In fact, I was so deeply affected by what I was reading that I developed ( quite probably psychosomatically) a massive sinus infection while reading this spectacular sci-fi novel.

Jeff Noon's style is so original and smart, that I am tempted to call him a genuis. He was able to take the same futuristic, perverted, cross-breed world that he created for "Vurt" ( a shocking, absorbing novel in it's own right) and apply it to "Pollen" with and entirely different perspective and story line.

I very much enjoyed the heavy-handed literary reference to the goddess Persephone. I also liked the more natural, Earthy approach to "Pollen" vs. the obvious Urban Decay theme in "Vurt".

You can tell the author is very intelligent, but enough with the made up words. He should have worked harder on making up a plot for this book. I couldn't even make myself finish this boring book.

If you've read any of Jeff Noon's other novels, you know that he's maniacally brilliant and quite off-the-wall. Automated Alice doesn't do anything to dissuade readers of that notion.

Noon tries, rather successfully in my opinion, to write a third Alice story...one in which she finds herself in present day Manchester, England after climbing through a grandfather clock. Noon uses Carroll's fine use of language and wordplay to create this very entertaining story which does fit into the Manchester he created with Pollen and Vurt.

This is a story written as only Noon could write it. Some will say it's a rip-off and a poor imitation of Carroll but I think it's a great tribute and a fun read.

Alice in Wonderland has "inspired" a number of hacks to produce poor material, from movies to books to video games. Here, Jeff Noon manages to avoid re-treading the surreal cliches in which most "tributes" indulge.

This book is a cross-pollination of Lewis Carroll's universe (from whence Alice originates) with Jeff Noon's universe (the setting of Vurt, Pollen, etc.) Noon (who has a distinctive style of his own) does a fair job of emulating Carroll's writing, but emphasizes the puns and wordplay that make Carroll's books so delightful to adults. Although it's a quick read, you're rewarded if you take the time to enjoy the wit.

Unlike many other Alice-"inspired" work, Noon has well-developed plot and a strong central theme he writes towards, one that is enhanced by the allusions to Lewis Carroll. The "Automated" Alice of the title is a robotic Alice; the differences and interactions between Alice Liddell, Alice "in Wonderland," and "Automated" Alice are used to form an interesting central metaphor.

I recommend this book highly. It's clever, fun, and intriguing.