Neuromancer was a re-read for me, it is a book that almost defines the science fiction genre. It coined the term cyberspace, and was the first book to win the science-fiction grand slam - the Nebula Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, and the Hugo Award.
Incidentally, misuse of the word 'cyber' annoys me pretty much every day. As far as I'm concerned, unless you're jacking in with electrodes attached to your head and are in constant danger of flat-lining (brain death), it isn't cyberspace, it's just the Internet.
Neuromancer is amazingly forward-looking considering it was published in 1984. I really enjoyed the book, but it is definitely not an easy read. Characters are not introduced, concepts are not explained, and for most of the book I felt I was only just understanding what was going on. I think an amazon reviewer put it best:
Gibson's narrator gives you a vague patchwork of the plot - it feels like a drunk's telling you about the movie he just watched.
Everyone should read it, if only to see what all the fuss is about.
4 stars.
If you liked this, you should read Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.
ReplyDeleteI was about to start reading this based on your review, but if it's anything like Snow Crash I think I'll give it a miss. Thank you random stranger!
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