Book Review: Neuromancer by William Gibson
January 9, 2009 9:00 am Review, What to Read
Why I chose it
This book is on my two favourite lists - 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (amazon)
The Buzz
1001 books:
Neuromancer is an enduring work because it combines the pace and urgency of the best fiction, with the scope, invention and intellectual rigour of Orwell or Huxley. Perhaps its most compelling and disquieting feature, however, is Gibson’s refusal to make any clear-cut moral distinctions between virtual and organic life, between program and reality.
501 books:
Neuromancer is known as the first book of the Cyberpunk genre, the book that introduced the concept of Cyberspace. … The concept of cyberspace as a habitable place, far prefereable to reality was so perfectly thought out and worked so well it inspired a whole new generation of sci-fi writers.
What I reckon
This is reputed to be the first of the cyberpunk genre, and is always a genre I suspected I would enjoy (sci-fi computer geek). And I did.
Neuromancer is the story of a clapped out drug addicted loser who becomes a maestro when he is jacked in to cyberspace. He travels that world of non-physics and hyperreality with ease. However, the real world controls him as his body is manipulated by corporates and financiers who aim to use his skills for their benefit.
The book is more like an experience than a story. There is a plot, characters and a conspiracy, but it is much more about the ride.
I spent the whole time reading this book unable to believe it was written in 1984. It truely reads as a creative take on what the world be like in the near future, when cyberspace interactions are virtual. Unbelievable.
The copy of Neuromancer I read was registered with Bookcrossing and came to me via a bookring. I sent it on to the next ring participant.
What else to read?
When I raved about this book, a friend, tqd, suggested some other titles with mini reviews.
Any
other William Gibson, especially earlier ones eg. The Virtual Light trilogy (LibraryThing, Amazon
), Pattern Recognition (LibraryThing, Amazon
)Neal
Stephenson (Snowcrash (LibraryThing, Amazon
) is a great read, but overall I like The Diamond Age
better (Libarything, Amazon
);and Cryptomonicon (LibraryThing, Amazon
) is AWESOME, but a very weak ending, but still
recommended, if you have time for a 900+ page novel
The Librarything Suggester top 10 recommendations are:
), Count Zero (LibraryThing, Amazon
), All tomorrow’s Parties (LibraryThing, Amazon
, Burning Chrome (LibraryThing, Amazon
)
) or Globalhead (LibraryThing, Amazon
)
)
)
)
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- Book Review - Breakfast at Tiffany’s, by Truman Capote
- Book Review: The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick
- Book Review: In the Forest by Edna O’Brien
