With some similarity to Gibson's later appraisal of Singapore for Wired magazine in Disneyland with the Death Penalty, as much essay as fiction, it depicts the encounters of an American photographer with the period futuristic architecture of the American 1930s when he is assigned to document it for fictional London publishers Barris-Watford, and the gradual incursion of its cinematic future visions into his world. The "Gernsback" of the title alludes to Hugo Gernsback, the pioneer of early 20th century American pulp magazine science fiction.
The text describes a narrative that blends elements of reality and fiction, similar to Gibson's later work on Singapore in Wired magazine, which also explores futuristic architecture. It focuses on an American photographer documenting the 1930s American architectural style for London publishers Barris-Watford, with his experiences gradually merging with cinematic visions of the future. The "Gernsback" title references Hugo Gernsback, a pioneer of early 20th century American pulp science fiction magazines.