Neuromancer
William Gibson
This book was my introduction to cyberpunk and I have to say, despite some limitations with this specific book, the setting was absolutely electrifying and absorbing. Gibson's gritty future unfolds in front of the viewer's eyes, a complete panorama of swirling neon in a vision shockingly close to the future we currently inhabit. Neuromancer's characters are compelling and flawed, vividly portrayed despite the book's reliance on heavily confusing and twisting plot elements; Gibson undoubtedly is a man of vision but, like Chiba City and The Sprawl, his vision often becomes unnecessarily cluttered and confusing to the uninitiated.
Neuromancer is, at heart, a cyber-thriller about fast paced crime and the underworld of a depressingly seedy future. The setting feels real and the focus on grime over glitter is a compelling one. Cyberpunk simply would not function without its "punk" element, and this book brings it in force. From the first page, the reader identifies with a thief, an underground addict who operates on shady morals but who clearly follows his own moral code. Case is realistic and undoubtedly more exciting to follow than any middle-class denizens of this world, who remain aloof and only pop in for brief bouts of hard-hitting social satire. Gibson rounds out his basic setting with a strangely realistic vision of cyberspace, an alternate reality that can interact with the real world but which represents a different reality altogether. Its similarities to the modern Internet are uncanny, and technology in the book is explained thoroughly without long-winded technical specs or obviously planted dialogue. The technology, like the world, simply leaps off of the page and constructs its own reality.
What is unfortunate is that the book is somewhat limited by its too-intricate plot twists. The action of Neuromancer is fast paced to match its setting, but far too often the reader is lost in the dust, struggling to keep up amongst the jargon and Case's own misunderstandings of technology. Even after finishing the book, I am confused as to why certain characters took certain sides. The book has a feel of constant grasping, as if something has been missed that would provide the key to understanding. Gibson's world is so real and so jarring that it is possible that the ratio of setting to plot is simply too equal, and my own reading focused too heavily on the former. Regardless, Gibson's reluctance to state the obvious occasionally works agaisnt him as concepts take too long to settle in and become familiar, often long after they become crucial to the events unfolding.
Overall, Neuromancer is unmatched in providing a realistic and intriguing setting. This vision of the future is as fully realized as one can hope for, including its very real links to the present (both 1984 and 2008). Despite their occasionally elusive nature, the characters are compelling and would be at home in further examinations of their lives. Molly Millions is especially well-realized and occasionally overshadows Case, the novel's obvious main character. Reading this book is an enveloping experience that creates a desire to experience the setting, a feat accomplished only by the most nuanced literary visionaries. Despite Gibson's notorious lack of knowledge about computers, he is spot-on in his visions of technology and the future of not only computer systems but also plastic surgery and perhaps politics and business as well. Though Neuromancer is often confusing and cluttered, it is worth reading for the scope of its vision alone. I suspect, too, that its plot will settle a bit on a second reading; the book is so full that there is almost too much brilliance to take in on the first time around.
Grade: A-
William Gibson
This book was my introduction to cyberpunk and I have to say, despite some limitations with this specific book, the setting was absolutely electrifying and absorbing. Gibson's gritty future unfolds in front of the viewer's eyes, a complete panorama of swirling neon in a vision shockingly close to the future we currently inhabit. Neuromancer's characters are compelling and flawed, vividly portrayed despite the book's reliance on heavily confusing and twisting plot elements; Gibson undoubtedly is a man of vision but, like Chiba City and The Sprawl, his vision often becomes unnecessarily cluttered and confusing to the uninitiated.
Neuromancer is, at heart, a cyber-thriller about fast paced crime and the underworld of a depressingly seedy future. The setting feels real and the focus on grime over glitter is a compelling one. Cyberpunk simply would not function without its "punk" element, and this book brings it in force. From the first page, the reader identifies with a thief, an underground addict who operates on shady morals but who clearly follows his own moral code. Case is realistic and undoubtedly more exciting to follow than any middle-class denizens of this world, who remain aloof and only pop in for brief bouts of hard-hitting social satire. Gibson rounds out his basic setting with a strangely realistic vision of cyberspace, an alternate reality that can interact with the real world but which represents a different reality altogether. Its similarities to the modern Internet are uncanny, and technology in the book is explained thoroughly without long-winded technical specs or obviously planted dialogue. The technology, like the world, simply leaps off of the page and constructs its own reality.
What is unfortunate is that the book is somewhat limited by its too-intricate plot twists. The action of Neuromancer is fast paced to match its setting, but far too often the reader is lost in the dust, struggling to keep up amongst the jargon and Case's own misunderstandings of technology. Even after finishing the book, I am confused as to why certain characters took certain sides. The book has a feel of constant grasping, as if something has been missed that would provide the key to understanding. Gibson's world is so real and so jarring that it is possible that the ratio of setting to plot is simply too equal, and my own reading focused too heavily on the former. Regardless, Gibson's reluctance to state the obvious occasionally works agaisnt him as concepts take too long to settle in and become familiar, often long after they become crucial to the events unfolding.
Overall, Neuromancer is unmatched in providing a realistic and intriguing setting. This vision of the future is as fully realized as one can hope for, including its very real links to the present (both 1984 and 2008). Despite their occasionally elusive nature, the characters are compelling and would be at home in further examinations of their lives. Molly Millions is especially well-realized and occasionally overshadows Case, the novel's obvious main character. Reading this book is an enveloping experience that creates a desire to experience the setting, a feat accomplished only by the most nuanced literary visionaries. Despite Gibson's notorious lack of knowledge about computers, he is spot-on in his visions of technology and the future of not only computer systems but also plastic surgery and perhaps politics and business as well. Though Neuromancer is often confusing and cluttered, it is worth reading for the scope of its vision alone. I suspect, too, that its plot will settle a bit on a second reading; the book is so full that there is almost too much brilliance to take in on the first time around.
Grade: A-
No comments:
Post a Comment