One element of Pattern Recognition that struck me was the use of movie titles or directors in descriptions of both people and places in the novel. While I did not enjoy the novel much as a whole, I liked how Gibson included these contemporary tidbits of information. It really helped clear up some of the environments that Cayce was in, and gave the novel a more realistic narrative feel. I noticed references to The Matrix and to female characters in general in most role-playing games on page 187. And to director Ridley Scott’s sets on page 248.

A significant theme in William Gibson’s “Pattern Recognition” is the functionality of dysfunction. Cayce, as the protagonist, establishes this as an important subject. She is cursed/blessed with strong reactions to corporate logos. This sort of ability is frequently problematic for her. Some logos are so offensive that they stimulate a physiological reaction in her. Ultimately, her ability functioned like an allergy in her younger years. When she first saw the Michelin Man in a magazine when she was a child, she puked. And it still affects her that way.