Have decided to catch up on my Sci-Fi reading while I'm being too lazy to implement TM2. I'm not entirely sure I'm enjoying classic cyberpunk that much. Alternating the refined cerebral with the carnal corporeal certainly achieves some realism in adapting to the male geek's brainwave patterns, but to me it taints the story. It cannot be denied that we are all biological creatures trying to reproduce and nature has some very effective ways of making us always keep it in mind, but, some of us, some of the time, go above that. So, when a person is actually reading something that requires thought, why should it be "spiced" every few pages with talk about "penises"? To keep the reader intrigued? What kind of audience is it aimed at? Or is the book supposed to be read in one sitting and should therefore provide jerk-off breaks, like TV sports programs have built-in bathroom breaks, required for the beer-drinking audience? Don't they think that a reader who has successfully wedged though a whole chapter about the philosophy of mathematics can be trusted to be able to use a bookmark when he needs a break? Maybe it's just my reaction that is "off". I should re-read some Asimov to verify and calibrate if necessary. After all, "abstention" wasn't even in his heroes' vocabulary. And yet, while reading Simmons not so long ago, I wasn?t bothered at all. Is it just my good taste being offended, or is it something more?