Scan barcode
surelyinthefountain's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The writing is arresting -- gorgeous descriptions of ugliness throughout. The first 40% to half feels like a very different book than the latter half of the novel. I really liked the second half, which starts to skew a bit existential and pulls out of the viewpoint of Case more, giving a bit more perspective; I'd say if you're having trouble with the first half, keep in mind that this was written in the 80s and there was a...shall we say "certain kind of audience" that was into sci-fi at that time, especially hard science fiction. Gibson is very deliberately trying to hook in that kind of reader before punching them in the gut in the second half, so if you're not in that target audience, the first half can feel a little alienating, but I promise the second half earns the cult status this book has. It has so much to say that's still really relevant in 2021 (when I'm writing this review), even if a bit of a sledgehammer with those ideas in places, and it's cool to see the roots of what we now view as cyberpunk staples in their original context. There's some dated stereotypes, but I think overall the book holds up well, even in spite of its flaws.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Body horror
c_l's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Brutal and poetic. For the impact on media, and our current 2021 society, Gibson deserves the praise he's been handed. I'm interested to read some of the cultural criticism written in the last forty years. All of the characters are flawed, and most are pretty fucked up (particularly Case, the protag).
Gibson's writing style caught me off guard, and it took me some time to settle into. I bet this would make for a much better re-read. It's highly metaphorical/poetic, without taking length to fine-tune a description. The characters all point to a dynamic, hostile, and compelling broader culture. This is probably my fav takeaway, especially when the settings are more alluded to than less concretely described (it works). I would recommend because:
Gibson's writing style caught me off guard, and it took me some time to settle into. I bet this would make for a much better re-read. It's highly metaphorical/poetic, without taking length to fine-tune a description. The characters all point to a dynamic, hostile, and compelling broader culture. This is probably my fav takeaway, especially when the settings are more alluded to than less concretely described (it works). I would recommend because:
- Valuable for understanding influence/lineage on media ("first cyberpunk").
- Observe future-casting for a hostile, techno-focused, late-capitalist world.
- [maybe spoilers? books been out since 1984 so...]
I've never seen AI used in a plot arc with this finish. - Gibson's writing style is worth digging into.
- Cool science fiction.
- Lots of heists.
- The matrix.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Drug abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Sexual violence
keegan_leech's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I found it slow to get into, but absolutely raced through the last section of the book. It's very good, but I don't imagine that it would appeal to everyone. Between a couple of quite graphic moments, and a lot of jargon, the book could be off-putting
I'd recommend it if you like creative, idea-driven sci-fi; or if you just want to read something that's dated, but rightfully defined genres for decades to come. However, the story itself doesn't quite do justice to the ideas and the tone that defines the book.
If you liked Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson, then you'll probably like Neuromancer for similar reasons, but the two books also have similar issues.
I'd recommend it if you like creative, idea-driven sci-fi; or if you just want to read something that's dated, but rightfully defined genres for decades to come. However, the story itself doesn't quite do justice to the ideas and the tone that defines the book.
If you liked Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson, then you'll probably like Neuromancer for similar reasons, but the two books also have similar issues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Sexual violence
More...