Shoegaze has always been a genre shaped as much by distortion as by definition. Coined—and complicated—by the British music press, the term has been embraced, rejected, and debated by the very bands it aimed to describe. In Shoegaze, music writer Ryan Pinkard explores this hazy history with clarity and curiosity, tracing the genre’s roots through its sounds, scenes, and stories. As a longtime fan, I found his account both illuminating and rewarding—a vital look at a style often heard but rarely explained.