746. Neuromancer

Neuromancer
William Gibson
1984
Around 270 pages

This is a familiar title to everybody who is a cyberpunk fan. It's definitely not my preferred aesthetic, but I enjoy dipping my toes into the genre from time to time. 

Set in the future, the novel follows Henry Case, a washed-up hacker hired for one last job, which brings him in contact with a powerful artificial intelligence. How much do you love it when a professional is hired for one last gig? They are doomed from the start.

Gibson was in the process of writing this novel when he saw Blade Runner, and figured his novel was sunk, because everybody would see it as rip off. Just goes to show that you have to block that noise out while you're writing, and believe that your voice and perspective will put a fresh spin on familiar tropes. And Gibson certainly did that, with a fast-paced story that popularized terms like "cyberspace."

Apparently Gibson later viewed this as an adolescent work, and it does feel like it was written for teenage boys, but I don't necessarily think that means it's not a smart novel. Okay, so he didn't see cell phones coming. Who did?

It's a novel with a cool vibe, so that alone makes it worth reading.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

A video game adaptation was published in 1988 by Interplay.

In August 2017, it was announced that Deadpool director Tim Miller was signed on to direct a new film adaptation by Fox.

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