3/2009 Winner: "Neuromancer" by William Gibson

GWC Community Book Club Winning Nominees and Polls
#1

Neuromancer by William Gibson.

My brother (who was in college) turned me on to this when I was about 15 or 16. He also gave me the two follow up books Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive.

This is (arguably) the birth place of the concept of a virtual reality internet. It’s difficult, but I even forgive him for coining my least favorite term in the world… Cyberspace.

He’s done many other books but they don’t really feel the same as these three. I like them, but they haven’t changed my world the way that these have. When people talk about “formative years” it makes me think about reading these.

For years I would pick the name Hideo when playing RPGs or online muds and video games. Someday I will have my own vat grown ninja.

#2

Ooh, I read this earlier this year after sitting in on a class Audra was taking. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t already read it, considering how crazy much affect this has on sci-fi as a whole. I’d totally be on board for this as a book of the month, and I’d happily re-read it.

I also read Count Zero, but I haven’t checked out Mona Lisa Overdrive yet. I didn’t enjoy Count as much as the original, but it was good stuff.

#3

Neuromancer? Seconded. Just give me a reason to re-read this one!

#4

I try to read neuromancer once every 7 years . . . I’m up to page 100 and i have no idea what’s going on.

#5

While Neuromancer is undeniably of importance (and is an excellent book in and of itself) I would argue that it isn’t the first appearance of the “virtual reality Internet”.

That would probably go to True Names by Vernor Vinge, which preceded it by three years (1981). One could also argue that many of the themes were explored by John Ford in Web of Angels which was first published in 1980. Here’s a quote:

Lines of light hurtled past him now. He changed direction moment to moment, the whip and twist of the screen hurting his eye muscles and making his stomach drop in spite of himself. This was only a philosophical abstract, wasn’t it? The maze-Weblattice was only a convenient schematic . . .

No, it was not. Virtual systems bent on his death pursued him across a landscape that was represented by light-pictures but was wholly real in its x-thousand cabinets of crystals and wires.

And the field can probably most accurately credit its origin with Shockwave Rider by John Brunner.

Neuromancer is quite good and was instrumental in defining the “cyberpunk” genre but there were other writers exploring the same ideas before Gibson.

#6

Yup. True Names is fraking seminal. In fact, I would name it one of the must-reads for you damn kids on my lawn. (Also, Count Zero (best of show) and Snow Crash (best first chapter of show.))

Also, read Rainbows End (also by VV) which won a (somebigdeal) award this year and is fraking awesome. (And now available for gratis online, but save yourself the cost of printing it out and just buy the damn book, gorram it.)

#7

Hence the (arguably) part. :slight_smile: Good stuff though!

#8

Though Neuromancer was a selection several months ago, we never enjoyed the discussion of the novel!

So, here is a space in which to do so.

This thread will contain spoilers. If you have not finished the book, proceed at your own risk.

#9

So since I started reading in March…I’m only ready to start Part 3. :frowning: Other things have kept me too busy to sit down with a book.

#10

Dammit! I have the audiobook version, with U2 music and everything. And I CAN’T FIND IT!!!

Case is cool. Molly will be back. So will Case, actually…

Frak!! Where is it?!

#11

This site may be of passing interest.

#12

Hmm…I’ll have to download that and see if I can import the files into my iPod. Never tried that before. Thanks for the link.

#13

They’re off of the cassettes, so there’s some random squeaking. Especially early on. It’s annoying unless you learn to ignore it.

I haven’t read/listened to this in years, and I find myself not sure what to make of it. It’s like reading Shakespeare. Seriously. There’s so much that is referenced by/references is this work that it’s almost overwhelming to try to critique.

Count Zero is still better, though.

#14

Hrm. This guy has reviewed Neuromancer. The only other thing I’ve heard from him (aside from a guest spot on the Sofanauts) is his terrible review of Snow Crash.

I’m downloading now. Should be interesting, at least.

#15

Aaah, the guy whose review of Snow Crash was basically incoherent. Thanks for taking the hit, and please report back.

What with reading some really pompous literary critics lately for work, I don’t know that I can handle it for my “fun” books, too :wink:

#16

I AM going to start reading this again this week! Grrrr…too much rain has been translating into too much yard work. :frowning:

#17

Molly’s all kinds of awesome.

I thought Neuromancer was interesting, though perhaps it’s just a sign of my generation or whatever, but it wasn’t as… groundbreaking? as I thought it would be. To be fair, it was published the year after I was born.

#18

True. She’s sort of a Whedon prototype.

I thought Neuromancer was interesting, though perhaps it’s just a sign of my generation or whatever, but it wasn’t as… groundbreaking? as I thought it would be. To be fair, it was published the year after I was born.

At the time, it was definitely groundbreaking. We owe the term “cyberspace” to this book. I’m not sure if he was the first guy who did the “online as collective hallucination” concept, but he definitely is associated with its birth. The funny thing is that a lot of it stemmed from the vague conceptions of a guy who was banging out his manuscript on a manual typewriter.

#19

Finally got time to read some more this weekend. About 1/2 way through the book. I like Molly too, one tough cookie. I wouldn’t want to mess with her…anywhere. I didn’t remember how much dope was used in the story…guess I was more interested in the descriptions of the decks, jacking in and cyberspace to notice back in the 80’s when I read it the first time.

Still finding it hard to wrap my head around an AI (Wintermute) that is trying to (I think) get itself killed by Case… confuzzled on this part. Going to re-read a few chapters before I move on.

#20

No, you’ve almost got it. He (Wintermute) doesn’t want to be killed so much as joined with his counterpart, although he’s not sure what that will result in. It’s an interestingly uncertain motivation. It makes (slightly) more sense a bit later.