An indispensable selection of Burroughs' work. 'Word Virus' brings together selections of Burroughs' most important and challenging work, beginning with his very early work (including a chapter from a novel in collaboration with Jack Kerouac) and following his trajectory through 'The Cat Inside'. This book has been edited to serve as a tool for the scholar and with commentary for the general reader. Important biographical information is included which provides key links to understanding Burroughs' work within the context of his life. Burroughs managed to be a visionary amongst writers: he imagined the Internet decades before its appearance and peered into the future of other technologies; he kept pace with world affairs and cultural trends; and, with each of his books, he introduced new possibilities to the form. When he died in 1997, the world of letters lost its most elegant insider.