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charlote_1347's review against another edition
2.0
I'm not sure what to say about this book. I enjoyed the parts I could understand, but the effort of trolling through the parts I didn't compromised my appreciation of it. The idea is original, and inventive, and quirky but I can't help but feel that the author dived a little too deeply into his fictional world and left his readers out in the cold, scrambling to make sense of his terminology and plot. The characters were a bright spot, however. They were definitive and colourful, and their back stories were interesting. Despite being a recommended read for one of my university modules, I can't say I would recommend this read, although I suppose it's a good option if you like complicated science fiction.
moonshinemoxie's review against another edition
Might pick it up another time, it didn't catch my interest. I know it's the foundation of cyberpunk but the concepts have been so overdone I couldn't appreciate the source
hidingzeus's review against another edition
3.75
This was a weird one to review. I've read better written cyberpunk, but also this invented it. Literally invented cyberpunk. And to realize all the references various scifi tv shows, movies, and books have used from this book since then is just trippy. I mean, The Matrix movies alone owe everything to this book.
juliacmurray's review against another edition
3.0
I think I understood (optimistically) 40% of what was going on in that book. It had cool vibes tho
odin45mp's review against another edition
3.0
Originally 4*.
Revised to 3*.
Still a foundational genre classic, it established cyberpunk's look and feel. But it is Misogynistic Capitalism-Run-Amok-By-TechBros, The Book. Very much written from a male gaze, with some light dusting of racism here and there. Atmosphere in spades, especially in the first half of the book. Some insightful guesses at how we use and abuse technology. But hard to read in places. And the ending is just as confusing to me the second time around.
Worth reading for the curious, and for those who want to revisit Neo Chiba, the Atlanta-Boston sprawl, and Cyberspace in the near-dystopian-future, as envisioned by a writer in the 1980s.
Revised to 3*.
Still a foundational genre classic, it established cyberpunk's look and feel. But it is Misogynistic Capitalism-Run-Amok-By-TechBros, The Book. Very much written from a male gaze, with some light dusting of racism here and there. Atmosphere in spades, especially in the first half of the book. Some insightful guesses at how we use and abuse technology. But hard to read in places. And the ending is just as confusing to me the second time around.
Worth reading for the curious, and for those who want to revisit Neo Chiba, the Atlanta-Boston sprawl, and Cyberspace in the near-dystopian-future, as envisioned by a writer in the 1980s.
jwolflink3's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
andriella's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ceridwenanne's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
5.0
Probably read this every 5 years since it was published, watching it shift from kaleidoscopic future to down at the heel future past.