Since breaking into the science fiction field in the mid-1980s, Pat Cadigan has become one of the most respected members of the cyberpunk subgenre and one of its most successful female authors, one who is frequently compared favorably to such founde rs of the subgenre as William Gibson and Bruce Sterling. Yet as the label "cyberpunk" has come to seem somewhat old-hat, critics have noted that Cadigan has adapted well, no doubt because from the beginning she showed a remarkable flexibility of form. In her five novels, including Mind Players, Synners, Fools, Tea From an Empty Cup, and Dervish Is Digital, and story collec tions such as Patterns, Home by the Sea, and Dirty Work, she has written works that glide back and forth over the borders between science fiction, fantasy, and horror, expand ing the bounds of each genre in the process.

Taking Science Fiction in...