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Black MA-1 Jacket Written Into Existence By William Gibson

In his 2003 novel Pattern Recognition, William Gibson gives his character Cayce Pollard a black MA-1 jacket:

... a fresh Fruit T-shirt, her black Buzz Rickson's MA-1, anonymous black skirt from a Tulsa thrift, the black leggings she'd worn for Pilates, black Harajuku schoolgirl shoes. Her purse-analog is an envelope of black East German laminate, purchased on eBay - if not actual Stasi-issue then well in the ballpark.

Cayce is allergic to fashion and can only tolerate things well worn from 1945 to 2000.

As it turns out, there was no such thing as a black Buzz Rickson's MA-1 jacket - but writers can create what they like. Gibson writes:

Some time after the book was published, I recieved a very puzzled letter from the folks at Buzz Rickson's, who had been getting requests for black MA-1's. Once I had explained what was happening, they amazed and delighted me by asking my permission to make a repro of *Cayce's* jacket, to market as their Pattern Recognition model. Yes indeed, I said, and while you're at it, cut me one with an extra four inches in the back, please. Which they did, and it's over the back of a chair nearby as I write this. I love this jacket. It reminds me of the title of a Surrealist sculpture, "An Object From The Other Side Of The Bridge". It's real, but it emerged from a work of fiction. (I'm not positive, but I think they all may be a little longer than the USAF pattern.)
(From William Gibson's blog)


(William Gibson in his Buzz Rickson's black MA-1)

Science fiction made real, by Buzz Rickson Products.

Here's a list of a couple dozen Gibson-related SF in the News items; read more from Gibson's blog entry. Thanks to an anonymous New Years day reader for the tip.

Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 1/1/2006)

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