Hinterlands (short story)

"Hinterlands"
Short story by William Gibson
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish
Genre(s)Science fiction
Publication
Published inOmni (October 1981), Burning Chrome (1986)
Publication dateOctober 1981
Chronology
 
The Gernsback Continuum
 
New Rose Hotel

"Hinterlands" is a science fiction short story written by William Gibson. It was first published in Omni in October 1981 and was republished in his short fiction collection Burning Chrome (1986). The story is a fable about the "cargo cult" mentality and explores the consequences for cultures and civilisations when confronted with artifacts - from an unknown but likely superior source - that are dangerous but nonetheless valuable.

"Hinterlands" is a German term that literally translates to "behind land", and in that original context it refers to a remote or less developed area behind a more central or developed site, for example the land behind a coast, a harbour, or a city.