William Gibson is known for his science fiction novels: Pattern Recognition, Neuromancer, Spook Country. One of his short stories, written in 1981, is the origin of the term “cyberspace.” His work largely deals with the fantastical application of technology in the future. But in the 30 years that Gibson has written about hipster-consumer esoterica, high-tech underworlds, and military game theory, he’s also produced a smattering of nonfiction. Distrust That Particular Flavor rounds up essays, criticism, and reporting commissioned by and printed in, among other publications, Wired, Rolling Stone, and the New York Times Magazine. The Times hasn’t been kind to Gibson’s collection, comparing his prose to “a lumbering airplane that simply needs more room for takeoff than small spaces can provide.” But still, he’s addressed some interesting topics, like what’s wrong with the Internet, the universal soundtrack provided by cultural events, and Singapore circa 1993. Even if Distrust That Particular Flavor is an unwieldy zeppelin, Gibson takes his readers on a fascinating ride. Gibson reads and signs his book at 7 p.m. at Politics & Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. politics-prose.com. (202) 364-1919.