William Gibson - Neuromancer

The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel…

I’m pretty exciting because William Gibson will be in Forbidden Planet on Saturday signing copies of his new novel Zero History. I am planning on being a massive geek and queuing with my hardback copy.

I first read Gibson when I studied Neuromancer at University. I should have heard of him before this; spending time at college studying ‘cyberpunk’. This involved watching Blade Runner over and over again and not delving into the man who has been acknowledged as its literal pioneer…In fact, I didn’t learn much at college. I just watched a lot of films.

Neuromancer is considered the first literal exploration of cyberpunk; the urban, neo-noir subgenre of science fiction. Not only did Neuromancer elevate science fiction into the edgy 80’s but the book coined the term ‘cyberspace’ and created a bizarrely accurate portray of the information age years before the popularity of the internet. The novel claimed all three major science fiction literary awards in 1984 - the Nebula Award, the Hugo Award, and the Philip K. Dick Memorial Award and became a cult classic. The one downside to reading Neuromancer in the ‘now’ is that it is incredibly hard to understand just how ground breaking it was. Most of the techno babble Gibson created is now in common use. His remarkably accurate portrayal of a future dependent on technology astounded to the point of speculation: were his ideas merely prophetic or did they help shape the technology of our future?

Neuromancer is a dark, dirty and gritty sci-fi and I would recommend it as a must read for any sci-fi lover. That being said, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea… Be forewarned: Neuromancer is as wordy as it is Punk.

The Plot:

Case is a former console cowboy, slumming in Chiba City, Japan. After betraying his former employers, Case is punished by a neurotoxin attack that damages his nervous system and his ability to jack into cyberspace. Depressed and suicidal, Case desperately looks for a cure to get back into cyberspace. He is now as addicted to drugs as he was to ‘the matrix’. He is approached by Molly, a cybernetic enhanced mercenary to offer him the deal of a lifetime. Molly’s boss, Armitage offers to restore Case’s nervous system in exchange for his services as a Hacker. Both Molly and Case are unaware of Armitage’s master plan, where their heist will lead…The story unfolds into an exploration of artificial intelligence and identity in an age where physical presence or appearance isn’t relevant anymore. Gibson also delves into the addictive properties of virtual reality (another impressive prediction).

On its own, I don’t think Neuromancer’s plot would meet the novel’s reputation. The writing style and themes behind Neuromancer are what makes it truly noteworthy. What I loved most about Neuromancer was Gibson’s writing style. Emulating the beat writers of the 1950’s, Gibson creates a jumbling and jumpy ‘stream of conscious’ style. This and his over use of techno jargon can make Neuromancer a tough read. However, the style brings a strong sense of confusion and disembodiment to the book which illustrates its main characters’ frustrations. The jumps also bring a sense of urgency and desperation that drives the plot forward. The overload of technological jargon serves a purpose: creating a bombardment of high-tech imagery for the reader. Science fiction is often a normal story set in the future and Neuromancer is no exception. Essentially a heist plot, the overload of description brings to life the futuristic setting and existential experience of cyberspace; fulfilling Neuromancer destiny as a classic sci-fi. It makes the plot exciting; enhancing the twists. Gibson also manages to keep the reader guessing by creating ideas that are never fully explained until we see the characters using the technology in a way that explains the madness. This being said sometimes Gibson does take the description too far and it becomes irrelevant rambling that hinders the plot.

Not everyone is going to love it. But if you’re a sci-fi fan, Neuromancer inspired so many authors and writing, it would be a crime not to read at least once.

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