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A review by grogu_djarin
Neuromancer by William Gibson
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Overall Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this! It read like the build-up to a heist which were the best parts of the books in my opinion. There were a lot of tense moments and threads of mystery to decipher as you read it but I felt like the payoff at the end was a bit anticlimactic due to the book veering into a more philosophical realm. The characters are somewhat one dimensional, but it just helps them fit into the dark and gritty world, where mega-corporations thrive and the people are just replaceable parts of the societal machine.
That said, it's not an easy read and Gibson doesn't hold your hand at all. Much of the world is presented as if you should already be familiar with it, so expect a lot of made up words thrown at you that you have to figure out what they are from the context and at the same time try to follow the plot when you're still wrapping your head around the terminology. While it's not a slow book, it's also not one you can rush or you'll likely miss something important.
I really enjoyed this! It read like the build-up to a heist which were the best parts of the books in my opinion. There were a lot of tense moments and threads of mystery to decipher as you read it but I felt like the payoff at the end was a bit anticlimactic due to the book veering into a more philosophical realm. The characters are somewhat one dimensional, but it just helps them fit into the dark and gritty world, where mega-corporations thrive and the people are just replaceable parts of the societal machine.
That said, it's not an easy read and Gibson doesn't hold your hand at all. Much of the world is presented as if you should already be familiar with it, so expect a lot of made up words thrown at you that you have to figure out what they are from the context and at the same time try to follow the plot when you're still wrapping your head around the terminology. While it's not a slow book, it's also not one you can rush or you'll likely miss something important.
Likes:
- The world building was fantastic (despite being challenging). It's amazing to think of how Gibson imagined so much about the potentials of technology and mega-corporations back in the 1980's and laid the ground for much of the cyberpunk genre. There's some things that feel anachronistic, but it's still a world that doesn't seem far off from a possible future.
- Many of the locations (in particular Chiba City, the Sprawl, and Freeside) felt well developed and having unique identities of their own.
- I liked some of the themes presented in the book such as the boundaries between humanity and society, the power of information, the structures of society, and questions of identity and personality.
- There were many parts I was completely engrossed by and Gibson did a fantastic job maintaining the tension.
Dislikes:
- It can be challenging at times and confusing understanding the terminology. While you can usually infer meaning from surrounding paragraphs, it means you might need to re-read some pages in order to fully follow along.
- I didn't really like the Rastafarians in the story, neither their role or their characterization. I think these references would have been more relevant to the time the book was written.
- The latter sections felt like they wandered a bit and the ending was quite a different direction from the rest of the story. This might be due to the earlier parts being so strongly focused on the heist aspect, that once the plot opens up it didn't feel as satisfying.
Other Notes:
- It's not necessary to read the short stories in Burning Chrome before this but it does help make things feel more immersive. Molly from "Johnny Mnemonic" is a main character and the story is referenced, and the Finn from "Burning Chrome" also appears.
- I recommend finding a glossary of some of the terms Gibson uses because it makes it easier to follow, but do be careful because the glossary I found had some spoilers within it.
Would Recommend To:
- Anyone interested in science fiction, especially the cyberpunk genre because this is foundational work that inspired much of the genre.
Do Not Recommend To:
- Anyone who doesn't like science fiction or anyone who does not want a challenging read of connecting all the elements of world building and the plot.