Engaging in depth with Gibson’s work will also make cyberpunk elements more noticeable in all the science-fiction you encounter.Ĭase is, in my opinion, the least interesting character in Neuromancer. There are also many, many essays online and in print that delve deeper into the world of the Sprawl. Neuromancer is complicated and I highly recommend taking the time to re-read it at least once. If Case fails the heist, or attempts to run away, he will die. In exchange, Case’s nerves will be prepared – but at the same time, his body is implanted with sacs of poison. Case is living in poverty until a new employer approaches him and offers him a place in a heist. In his former employment, he was a “console cowboy”, able to traverse virtual reality… that is, until his employers catch him stealing and attack him with a chemical agent that leaves him unable to access the matrix. Proceed with caution if these topics are potential triggers. It is worth noting that Neuromancer contains references to drug addiction, violence, injury, and sexual assault that may be disturbing to some readers. Cyberpunk clashes the struggles of the exploited working-class against the experiences of the top one percent.

Cyberpunk is a heavily stylised genre that draws upon the aesthetics of punk culture with advanced speculative technology, advanced plastic surgery, and body modifications… all while critiquing capitalism and geopolitics. The clue is in the name: cybernetics and advanced, speculative technologies meet a punk attitude that has a blatant disregard of rules, authority, and the law. If you’ve ever enjoyed The Matrix, Altered Carbon, or any story with virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and technology implanted into the body… William Gibson’s Neuromancer is the one to thank.īefore diving into my review, let’s outline the cyberpunk genre. This isn’t just a book review this is an homage to the founding father of cyberpunk. William Gibson’s Neuromancer kick-started the cyberpunk genre.

“ The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel”.

Gibson neuromancer