W.F. Howes re-imagines classic William Gibson works in audio

PUBLISHING NEWS

Credit: Michael O'Shea

W. F. Howes, RBmedia’s UK publishing brand, has acquired the UK/Commonwealth audio rights for six of William Gibson’s most celebrated titles, which it will publish ahead of Apple TV+’s forthcoming screen adaptation of his iconic novel, Neuromancer.

Having already published Neuromancer in audiobook format, the deal will see W. F. Howes bring to life the remaining two titles in the Sprawl Trilogy (Count Zeroand Mona Lisa Overdrive) and the complete Bridge Trilogy (Virtual Light, Idoru, and All Tomorrow’s Parties). The acquisition also includes Gibson’s Burning Chrome short story collection, in which he famously first coined the term “cyberspace.”

All six titles, which were originally published in print between 1982 and 1999, have never been available in digital audiobook format in the UK market before, and will be published throughout 2025.

Starting his writing career in the late 1970s, American-Canadian William Gibson is widely credited with pioneering the science fiction subgenre known as “cyperpunk.” His early works were applauded for reinvigorating science fiction literature in the 1980s, and in 1999, the Guardian described him as “probably the most important novelist of the past two decades.”

Apple TV+ recently announced its 10-part adaptation of Neuromancer as it bolsters its longform sci-fi output. The series will be co-created by Graham Roland and JD Dillard and will star Callum Turner (Fantastic Beasts, Masters of the Air) and Briana Middleton (Sharper, The Tender Bar).

Kay Farrell, Acquisitions Editor at W. F. Howes, acquired the audio rights from John Berlyne at Zeno Agency Ltd. Farrell said: “William Gibson is one of the most influential living writers of speculative fiction, a true digital visionary of his time whose work has dominated the sci-fi genre for decades. When we launched Neuromancer, it unsurprisingly proved to be an instant hit with audio fans, so we are delighted to be bringing a wider range of William’s brilliant novels to the audio format at a time when there will be a great deal of buzz around the author and his work.”