Origins of 'net culture. (Neuromancer - William Gibson)

Name: TheKnight

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Product:	Neuromancer - William Gibson
Date:	10/08/00 (74 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Chillingly realistic. Stylish and believable.

Disadvantages: None unless you dislike sci-fi.

I bought the book originally for a long train journey, some years ago now. It was from one of those station bookshops and was from a limited choice.

I figured the book would keep me occupied for the journey and it certainly did. So much so that I had to buy the rest of the series later in the week. I was utterly hooked from the first chapter until the third book. More-over, I re-read the entire series every year.

The awards and praise given to Gibson for this book make for a long and impressive list. The reason, I believe, is that he creates a world that is at once far removed from our own experience and yet is simultaneously and chillingly believable. It is like an illustration that the more things change, the more they remain the same.

Gibson's style is well-paced, though almost minimalistic in descriptions, leaving your imagination to flesh some things out. That is not a bad thing for sci-fi, and enables each reader to create mental images of their own.

It reminds me a little of the writing style of Raymond Chandler, Lon Chaney, or other detective novelists. It works well and helps the reader to keep up the pace and focus on the plot rather than marvel at the technology that Gibson introduces so believably and vividly.

Gibson's words have been of tremendous influence to the technical dreamers of the world. It was Gibson who first coined the phrase 'cyberspace' for instance. He brings us stunning ideas and wraps them in a very solid and realistic world that is both strange and all-too familiar.

The world of the Neuromancer is a high tech, fast-paced, neon-lit place where the big corporations are the true super-powers and borders mean very little in an age of high-speed transit and even faster paced electronic commerce. It is so chillingly realized that one can sometimes look up and feel surprised that it isn't (yet) real.

I won't spoil the plot for you, but will give you an ide
a of the world he has crafted. It is the not-too distant future, and the internet has grown up. The net has a shape, and is experienced in full virtual reality, with expert hackers zooming around the globe stealing information and selling it on.

The enhanced communication around the world has accelerated the use of slang, and you'll be introduced to new phrases that will stick with you. Television has been replaced with its Virtual Reality equivalent too, and 'viewers' experience the stories from the perspective of their chosen star. Gibson uses slang and names the brands for items in such a way that they become as real as the everyday items in our homes.

The world that Gibson weaves is a dark one. A world where high-speed and big names tend to leave bodies in their wake. It is all too believable and perhaps more prophetic than we would wish.

His characters are no clean-cut heroes, nor do they always do the right thing. They are as prone to weaknesses and failings as those in the world around us. This too aids in creating a very believable story and setting.

If you have an interest in the internet, sci-fi, or different worlds then I highly recommend this book and the others in the trilogy to you. It is truly a landmark in literature, and required reading for any who would understand the genre.

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