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challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It's one of those books that immerses you in another world so thoroughly that you just kind of have to go along for the ride and not question every unfamiliar term / phrase... It's not a bad story, and by the end it felt worth reading, but in the first half I felt pretty lost and debated whether I should finish it or not. It's worth sticking with til the end, if only for some of the intriguing twists in the second half.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Confinement, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Classism
Minor: Rape, Torture
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Neuromancer, a classic that shot the world of neon skylines and futuristic cybermods into modern culture. A book that, for all intents and purposes, was ripped off to create even greater products such as Cyberpunk 2013 (What became Cyberpunk 2020) and System Shock. Starring the drug-addicted Case, a cowboy who hacks his way through cyberspace, it follows his journey from criminal scum counting down the last of his days to something more, returning back to life with purpose. When, at rock bottom, he is promised with a way to return to his beloved cyberspace, he jumps at the opportunity without realizing what he has gotten himself into. Thanks to the help of a 'street samurai' in Molly, and his dead mentor's construct guiding him, he is pulled into a heist for the mysterious Armitage. Through his journey of returning back to the virtual space he loved, he begins to realize that the job he had to do in return is much more complicated, and dangerous, than it seems.
While it is important to understand Neuromancer's influence on sci-fi, blending modern aspects with a grungy underbelly of technology, I would not say it has held up very well. The world-building is amazing and really what people enjoy from the book. The exquisite, poetic, waxing descriptions of cyberspace and the philosophy mixing with technology woven in, the seedy streets of Night City, the metropolis of BAMA, and the futuristic dystopia Freeside, all of these aspects are what inspired so many. The characters show initial promise at first and make you want to see their journies. Case is a man we see at rock bottom, and he even admits he isn't a good person. He's an anti-hero, one that has the promise of good while still committing terrible acts as he has essentially given up on life. Then comes Armitage and Molly. Armitage is a mysterious suitor, one we don't know a lot about at first. Molly is a hired merc, deadly as much as she is beautiful. And sadly, the beginning of the book is the most interesting part.
As the story goes on it begins to get a little non-sensical as William Gibson's lack of technological understanding shows, and the plot becomes so convoluted that it eventually gets hard to follow. A lot of exposition gets dumped near the end, and things are rushed over or skipped that probably shouldn't have been. It makes the story very messy and feels like he wasn't exactly sure how to properly get from Point A to Point B. Another issue I had was how descriptions were weirdly repeated. It isn't a long book, but I swear the phrase 'white/yellow/black' teeth is used way too much to describe characters. Same with 'brown breasts' for some reason. There is sex in this novel, and it feels so unbelievably forced that it almost feels sexist. She is supposed to be a badass, deadly assassin and immediately she is throwing herself at Case for absolutely no reason.
Case and Molly have almost zero chemistry, and it isn't described at all why they even like each other. Dixie and Case felt more like a proper relationship than these two. Along with that, she is supposed to be a cybernetic badass who, sadly, doesn't really get to shine. A lot of her action scenes are just skipped over, and most of her actual fighting is very little. Her fingernail blades, a unique aspect about her character, pretty much don't get used. She felt like wasted potential to me. And that's what the last half of the book feels like, wasted potential. I feel as though his focus on creating beautiful, dream-like sequences was jarring from the rest of the book, especially when it wasn't cyberspace. It made me want to return back to Night City, not stay on Freeside, and learn more about that world than the one the story was trying to focus on. It almost feels like two different short stories smashed together, and the book length doesn't allow either side of them to properly develop.
Overall, Neuromancer is no doubt a landmark novel that should be considered a modern classic as it essentially had almost all of its ideas ripped off. Mike Pondsmith basically stole half of this book. Night City, eddies, cyberspace (netrunning), cybernetic blades, constructs/engrams, and so much more that I'm surprised there wasn't a lawsuit. System Shock was much more subtle in showing the influences, and the same with The Matrix. In their respective areas, these things it helped inspired are some of the best pieces of art, and it deserves credit, but they do what Neuromancer did so much better than when you go back to look at it, you can't help but feel the disconnect of quality.
While it is important to understand Neuromancer's influence on sci-fi, blending modern aspects with a grungy underbelly of technology, I would not say it has held up very well. The world-building is amazing and really what people enjoy from the book. The exquisite, poetic, waxing descriptions of cyberspace and the philosophy mixing with technology woven in, the seedy streets of Night City, the metropolis of BAMA, and the futuristic dystopia Freeside, all of these aspects are what inspired so many. The characters show initial promise at first and make you want to see their journies. Case is a man we see at rock bottom, and he even admits he isn't a good person. He's an anti-hero, one that has the promise of good while still committing terrible acts as he has essentially given up on life. Then comes Armitage and Molly. Armitage is a mysterious suitor, one we don't know a lot about at first. Molly is a hired merc, deadly as much as she is beautiful. And sadly, the beginning of the book is the most interesting part.
As the story goes on it begins to get a little non-sensical as William Gibson's lack of technological understanding shows, and the plot becomes so convoluted that it eventually gets hard to follow. A lot of exposition gets dumped near the end, and things are rushed over or skipped that probably shouldn't have been. It makes the story very messy and feels like he wasn't exactly sure how to properly get from Point A to Point B. Another issue I had was how descriptions were weirdly repeated. It isn't a long book, but I swear the phrase 'white/yellow/black' teeth is used way too much to describe characters. Same with 'brown breasts' for some reason. There is sex in this novel, and it feels so unbelievably forced that it almost feels sexist. She is supposed to be a badass, deadly assassin and immediately she is throwing herself at Case for absolutely no reason.
Case and Molly have almost zero chemistry, and it isn't described at all why they even like each other. Dixie and Case felt more like a proper relationship than these two. Along with that, she is supposed to be a cybernetic badass who, sadly, doesn't really get to shine. A lot of her action scenes are just skipped over, and most of her actual fighting is very little. Her fingernail blades, a unique aspect about her character, pretty much don't get used. She felt like wasted potential to me. And that's what the last half of the book feels like, wasted potential. I feel as though his focus on creating beautiful, dream-like sequences was jarring from the rest of the book, especially when it wasn't cyberspace. It made me want to return back to Night City, not stay on Freeside, and learn more about that world than the one the story was trying to focus on. It almost feels like two different short stories smashed together, and the book length doesn't allow either side of them to properly develop.
Overall, Neuromancer is no doubt a landmark novel that should be considered a modern classic as it essentially had almost all of its ideas ripped off. Mike Pondsmith basically stole half of this book. Night City, eddies, cyberspace (netrunning), cybernetic blades, constructs/engrams, and so much more that I'm surprised there wasn't a lawsuit. System Shock was much more subtle in showing the influences, and the same with The Matrix. In their respective areas, these things it helped inspired are some of the best pieces of art, and it deserves credit, but they do what Neuromancer did so much better than when you go back to look at it, you can't help but feel the disconnect of quality.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Alcohol
Minor: Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual content
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gun violence, Blood, Classism
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual violence
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the most I’ve ever been confused in a book. As a cyberpunk fan I thought getting into this book would be entertaining. The book gets you at some points and on others your totally confused. Anyway I can appreciate what this book has done for the genre, I’d just wait for the show to come out to enjoy this story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of my favourite books. Just finished a reread.
The world is chaotic and entrancing. The plot hurtles through it at speed, twisting this way and that, but never getting lost.
It’s incredible to realize that Gibson came up with so many of these ideas and imagery in 1984. The foundational text of cyberpunk. You can see so many themes and ideas stemming from this.
Case is a complex main character but ultimately you root for him. Like seeing a friend make some bad decisions. Molly is a tragic terminator, both intimidating and sympathetic. Armitage, Wintermute and Peter are all ominous antagonists. There are a host of other amazing characters who make the world rich and leave lasting impressions.
The world is chaotic and entrancing. The plot hurtles through it at speed, twisting this way and that, but never getting lost.
It’s incredible to realize that Gibson came up with so many of these ideas and imagery in 1984. The foundational text of cyberpunk. You can see so many themes and ideas stemming from this.
Case is a complex main character but ultimately you root for him. Like seeing a friend make some bad decisions. Molly is a tragic terminator, both intimidating and sympathetic. Armitage, Wintermute and Peter are all ominous antagonists. There are a host of other amazing characters who make the world rich and leave lasting impressions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Blood, Alcohol
Minor: Rape, Torture, Grief
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Gosh this was a really interesting, honestly great read and I'm not sure where to begin. This book is considered to be what created cyberpunk as a genre but also was the origin of a bunch of other things I didn't know about - the concept of cyberspace before the internet, the matrix as a concept and the Japanese/science fiction aesthetic you see a lot, especially in the blade runner movie. Think fast paced, heist, Nior type of thing. With the standard cast of characters you'd expect - they don't really develop much past their archetypes.
I loved how the book didn't hold your hand throughout it felt like being thrown into a world at a very quick pace, and you were expected to keep up, especially when it comes to understanding the world, and It's something I really value in science fiction books - there is no exposition you have to work things out, most things really, based on context. This was one of the things I really liked about Do Androids as well.
The dialogue was excellent, and I loved how it was integrated into the action and text of the book. The writing itself flowed really well, it was very entertaining and thought provoking. I liked how the story effortlessly moved between real life stable things, and the dream-like sequences of being in the cyberspace area.
This was very close to being a five star read for me, very very close, but I've opted for 4.75 stars for two reasons, firstly The main character has casual sex with two of the main women in the story and it's written quite badly. and secondly, sometimes information, in the form of random new science fiction words, were casually inserted into the rather fast moving text, with zero explanation as to what they were or what they looked like. As a reader this made it a hard to visualise some of the scenes, and I also don't know how accurate what I'm imagining is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, War
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Incest, Suicidal thoughts