The more I read of PR I just couldn't help but see the parallels between Cayce and Marly Kruschova from Count Zero. The quest, taking her to exotic places (tho not as exotic as Earth orbit) in search of an artist producing works of haunting beauty, commisioned by another wealthy Belgian no less. We get to find out yet again that rich people are not like "you and me".
Is WG trying to tell us something? Is it a fave theme of his? Has he run out of ideas (unlikely as it may be)?
And what's with the wealthy Belgian motif?

The Find function (unreliable as it is) gives 16 previous hits to that idea, so others have had the same idea.

For me it is just the generic quest, with artistic overtones. And as with most quest stories, from the Argonauts to the Book of the New Sun, it is what you meet on the way what matters.

And Bigend is human, as all in PR, while Virek is something else, again, as many characters in the Sprawl series.

Hmmm... I thought it might have occured to someone else already. Guess I should have done my research before acting like a smartass. But hey, I was kinda enthused with the correlation.
Bah

I was also struck by the similarities almost immediately. I believe it is less a matter of being out of ideas than one of being attracted to certain ideas.

Yeah. Me too. I 'd hate to seriously contemplate WG being out of ideas. I lust for his next work already after having just read PR.