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William Gibson Interviewed
William Gibson Interviewed

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of William Gibson Interviewed is here in full — 187 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for William Gibson Interviewed
Context Illustration Reading 27/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Incidentally, the book I'm writing now is about virtual celebrities.
It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.
You're not fascinated by technology, and yet you come up with ideas on the edge...
When I write my books, my favorite part is always "art direction", not the plot.
I admit I like giving people a visual impression of the world I'm creating.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

William Gibson Interviewed

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of William Gibson Interviewed is here in full — 187 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 27/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 131–135

Line 1
Incidentally, the book I'm writing now is about virtual celebrities.
Line 2
It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.
Line 3
You're not fascinated by technology, and yet you come up with ideas on the edge...
Line 4
When I write my books, my favorite part is always "art direction", not the plot.
/wen aɪ raɪt maɪ bʊks maɪ ˈfeɪvərɪt pɑːrt ɪz ˈɔːlweɪz ɑːrt dərˈekʃən nɑːt ðə plɑːt/
Line 5
I admit I like giving people a visual impression of the world I'm creating.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

celebrities noun US /səˈlebrɪtiz/

plural of “celebrity” — a widely known person

From this reading “Incidentally, the book I'm writing now is about virtual celebrities.”

creating verb US /kriˈeɪtɪŋ/

-ing form of “create” — make or cause to be or to become

From this reading “I admit I like giving people a visual impression of the world I'm creating.”

Incidentally adverb US /ˌɪnsɪˈdentəli/

introducing a different topic

From this reading “Incidentally, the book I'm writing now is about virtual celebrities.”

obsessed adjective US /əbˈsest/

having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something

From this reading “It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.”

replica noun US /ˈreplɪkə/

copy that is not the original; something that has been copied

From this reading “It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.”

technology noun US /tekˈnɑːlədʒi/

the application of the knowledge and usage of tools (such as machines or utensils) and techniques to control one's environment

From this reading “You're not fascinated by technology, and yet you come up with ideas on the edge...”

virtual adjective US /ˈvɜːrtʃuːəl/

being actually such in almost every respect

From this reading “Incidentally, the book I'm writing now is about virtual celebrities.”

visual adjective US /ˈvɪʒəwəl/

relating to or using sight

From this reading “I admit I like giving people a visual impression of the world I'm creating.”

All words in this reading · 57

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Incidentally, the book I'm writing now is about virtual celebrities.

admitverbUS /ədˈmɪt/

declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading I admit I like giving people a visual impression of the world I'm creating.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading When I write my books, my favorite part is always "art direction", not the plot.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.

artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/

an old form of “are”, used with “thou”

From this reading When I write my books, my favorite part is always "art direction", not the plot.

becomesverbUS /bɪˈkʌmz/

third-person singular of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.

booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading Incidentally, the book I'm writing now is about virtual celebrities.

booksnounUS /bʊks/

Bound written or printed works.

From this reading When I write my books, my favorite part is always "art direction", not the plot.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading You're not fascinated by technology, and yet you come up with ideas on the edge...

celebritiesnounUS /səˈlebrɪtiz/

plural of “celebrity” — a widely known person

From this reading Incidentally, the book I'm writing now is about virtual celebrities.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading You're not fascinated by technology, and yet you come up with ideas on the edge...

creatingverbUS /kriˈeɪtɪŋ/

-ing form of “create” — make or cause to be or to become

From this reading I admit I like giving people a visual impression of the world I'm creating.

directionnounUS /dərˈekʃən/

a line leading to a place or point

From this reading When I write my books, my favorite part is always "art direction", not the plot.

edgenounUS /edʒ/

the boundary of a surface

From this reading You're not fascinated by technology, and yet you come up with ideas on the edge...

fallsnounUS /fɔːlz/

the petals or sepals of a flower that bend downward (especially the outer perianth of an iris)

From this reading It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.

fascinatedadjectiveUS /ˈfæsəneɪtəd/

having your attention fixated as though by a spell

From this reading You're not fascinated by technology, and yet you come up with ideas on the edge...

favoritenounUS /ˈfeɪvərɪt/

something regarded with special favor or liking

From this reading When I write my books, my favorite part is always "art direction", not the plot.

givingnounUS /ˈɡɪvɪŋ/

the act of giving

From this reading I admit I like giving people a visual impression of the world I'm creating.

guynounUS /ɡaɪ/

an informal term for a youth or man

From this reading It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading When I write my books, my favorite part is always "art direction", not the plot.

I'm

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Incidentally, the book I'm writing now is about virtual celebrities.

ideasnounUS /aɪˈdiːəz/

plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading You're not fascinated by technology, and yet you come up with ideas on the edge...

impressionnounUS /ˌɪmˈpreʃən/

a vague idea in which some confidence is placed

From this reading I admit I like giving people a visual impression of the world I'm creating.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.

IncidentallyadverbUS /ˌɪnsɪˈdentəli/

introducing a different topic

From this reading Incidentally, the book I'm writing now is about virtual celebrities.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Incidentally, the book I'm writing now is about virtual celebrities.

It's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading I admit I like giving people a visual impression of the world I'm creating.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading When I write my books, my favorite part is always "art direction", not the plot.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading You're not fascinated by technology, and yet you come up with ideas on the edge...

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Incidentally, the book I'm writing now is about virtual celebrities.

obsessedadjectiveUS /əbˈsest/

having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something

From this reading It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading You're not fascinated by technology, and yet you come up with ideas on the edge...

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading When I write my books, my favorite part is always "art direction", not the plot.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading I admit I like giving people a visual impression of the world I'm creating.

plotnounUS /plɑːt/

a secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal)

From this reading When I write my books, my favorite part is always "art direction", not the plot.

replicanounUS /ˈreplɪkə/

copy that is not the original; something that has been copied

From this reading It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.

starnounUS /stɑːr/

(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.

technologynounUS /tekˈnɑːlədʒi/

the application of the knowledge and usage of tools (such as machines or utensils) and techniques to control one's environment

From this reading You're not fascinated by technology, and yet you come up with ideas on the edge...

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Incidentally, the book I'm writing now is about virtual celebrities.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading You're not fascinated by technology, and yet you come up with ideas on the edge...

virtualadjectiveUS /ˈvɜːrtʃuːəl/

being actually such in almost every respect

From this reading Incidentally, the book I'm writing now is about virtual celebrities.

visualadjectiveUS /ˈvɪʒəwəl/

relating to or using sight

From this reading I admit I like giving people a visual impression of the world I'm creating.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When I write my books, my favorite part is always "art direction", not the plot.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading It's the story of a guy who becomes obsessed with the virtual replica of a star, and falls in love with her.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading I admit I like giving people a visual impression of the world I'm creating.

writeverbUS /raɪt/

produce a literary work

From this reading When I write my books, my favorite part is always "art direction", not the plot.

writingnounUS /ˈraɪtɪŋ/

the act of creating written works

From this reading Incidentally, the book I'm writing now is about virtual celebrities.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading You're not fascinated by technology, and yet you come up with ideas on the edge...

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You're not fascinated by technology, and yet you come up with ideas on the edge...

You're

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading You're not fascinated by technology, and yet you come up with ideas on the edge...

Chapter 1 of William Gibson Interviewed by Giuseppe Salza holds 187 sentences, grouped into 38 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of William Gibson Interviewed contain?

Chapter 1 holds 187 sentences of William Gibson Interviewed, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of William Gibson Interviewed by Giuseppe Salza exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 187 sentences, grouped into 38 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of William Gibson Interviewed?

Work through the 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 38 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading William Gibson Interviewed

Common questions about reading William Gibson Interviewed by Giuseppe Salza on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of William Gibson Interviewed?

Yes. All 187 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #235 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of William Gibson Interviewed is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #235, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does William Gibson Interviewed take to read?

About 15 minutes of reading across 38 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read William Gibson Interviewed section by section

How to work through William Gibson Interviewed section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of William Gibson Interviewed to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in William Gibson Interviewed

Words and structures a reader meets early in William Gibson Interviewed, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Standard
A word that appears in the opening chapter of William Gibson Interviewed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Disclaimer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of William Gibson Interviewed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Document
A word that appears in the opening chapter of William Gibson Interviewed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Freely
A word that appears in the opening chapter of William Gibson Interviewed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.