More Than Science Fiction, A Must Read
Neuromancer by William Gibson
William Gibson's Neuromancer is a genre-defining book, one of those rare treats that comes along, slams a reader full in the face and bellows, "Pay attention to me. I'm different."
Gibson, father of the cyberpunk novel has said in interviews that North Americans didn't get Neuromancer, that they missed the humor and that he was not as well versed in current computer happenings when he wrote the book. He was out of touch enough, apparently, to be unaware of the hacking community that was very real and active when Neuromancer was published. He says now that he would have at least trademarked the term, but that was only window dressing and the lack of then-current knowledge may have actually helped free Gibson's imagination.
Audiences liked the story enough to shower it with every major award despite an initial print run of only 4,000 copies. With Hugo and Nebula awards to its credit, Neuromancer was a rare double threat that opened an entire generation's eyes to what could be. Gibson's future has been copied time and time again from countless books to movies such as Blade Runner and The Matrix.
Other authors have turned their word processors to the cyberpunk genre in the intervening decades, but Neuromancer was there first, and for many, its pioneering nature makes it one of the required reading entries on the hardcore lists. Gibson has attempted to go even harder with stories like Idoru and Mona Lisa Overdrive, but neither these nor his subsequent works touch the simplicity and genius in Neuromancer.
A similar example is found in Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game. Card has returned to that universe many times, has written other coming-of-age novels featuring young men learning about the world, and while they may good or enjoyable, they don't reach the pinnacle Ender's Game reached. Serial novelists often have the same problem, finding their work flagging by the third or fourth volume and looking for something, anything to jazz up the proceedings.
Neuromancer is a special book -- one you should make an effort to read if you have the slightest interest in futurists, computers or that wacky web. Written in a machine gun style, this is a book you may find yourself working to initially grasp. Stay with it -- the journey starts off bumpy, but the ride is wonderful once you understand the rhythm.
The Plot in Exactly One Hundred Words
Case is a computer junkie -- a cowboy who rides waves of data through an interconnected world by literally "jacking in" to the network. The story opens with him in deep water for failing an assignment and stealing. Case, on the run and unable to access the network, falls in with a syndicate that agrees to heal him in exchange for his services. Molly, a deadly assassin, becomes his shadow to ensure that Case delivers for his employers. Along the way, there is violence galore, artificial intelligences to battle and a mystery that is unlike any you may have read before.
What Works Well
There is a new world here -- one that begs to be discovered. Gibson's future holds much promise, but is bleak enough to cause even casual readers to ask, "How can I make this not happen?"
Case is also a terrific character. Part cowboy, part rogue, part hacker, he is only larger-than-life when he is jacked in. Enough doubt and self-preservation color his thinking to make the reader's journey with him thoroughly enjoyable.
What Doesn't Work As Well
The biggest complaint about Neuromancer is also the most common. It's a tough book to read. Many reviewers and interviewers have admitted that they only began to fully understand certain sections and actions after several readings. Having gone through the book several times myself, I agree. The nuance is there, but readers are so absorbed in understanding the story initially that they are apt to skip right past them.
I also wanted to see Molly's character plumbed a little more. Gibson does a fine job explaining how this woman with killer implants arrived at this spot in time, but he stops just short of making her as accessible a character as Case.
The Bottom Line, Dog Earred Pages and All
Difficult though it might appear at first glance, Neuromancer is a story worth pursuing. Gibson's future is all the more remarkable given its age. This wasn't a cutting edge story when it was published 20 years ago --it wasn't even bleeding edge, but true science fiction. By itself, that glimpse of the future world makes Neuromancer worthy of your time.
Five Things To Remember From This Review
1. First published in 1984, Neuromancer was Gibson's first book.
2. Neuromancer won the Hugo and Nebula Awards --science fiction's top honors.
3. The book later became a video game and graphic novel, but Gibson's initial intent was to move away from Neuromancer and on to other things.
4. Neuromancer is widely credited as the first cyberpunk novel.
5. The image of an interconnected world and virtual reality tinged with artificial intelligence is a lot less futuristic now than it was twenty years ago.
