Book review: Neuromancer by William Gibson

Although I had never really delved into the genre, I’d always felt that when I eventually did get around to it, me and cyberpunk would come together like peanut butter and jelly. The entire genre seemed made for me, and it’s only because I insist on reading everything that crosses my path that I’d never really got around to reading any of the cyberpunk classics. I put Neuromancer on this year’s reading list to make myself finally take the time to read something that I thought could really resonate with me.

I may have set myself up for a fall, placing Neuromancer on such a high pedestal. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, I did. I just should have read it a decade ago.

When you open the book you’re immediately thrown into the world. There’s no information dump, it’s sink or swim. It took me a while to get my bearings and I think I lost a bit along the way. I’ll have to reread it again in a year or so. That way I’ll be coming in already warmed up and I’ll be able to take in a lot more of the scenery. 

The descriptive passages of what it’s like in the Matrix are so alien, that I feel like I only scratched the surface with the initial reading. It will take multiple reads to actually feel like it’s a landscape that I can picture. Part of the problem may be that I kept trying to interpret it through a modern technological lens of how we currently view data structures and networks and the general idea of cyberspace. I had trouble letting go of my existing preconceptions and I kept trying to relate it back to other points of reference, like Tron or The Matrix. You need to take away those preconceptions and read it on its own merit. I didn’t do that, and I hope I’ll be able to do so upon rereading it.

I struggle to relate to most female characters, and although I initially didn’t like Molly, she grew on me. At first, I thought she was just going to be there for a bit of titillation, but she turned out to be her own independent character. I find that too often as soon as you put a strong female character into a relationship they become submissive and their ability to make rational decisions goes out the window in favour of their new boyfriend. This wasn’t the case with Molly and I appreciated that. It’s hard to make a character tough and formidable but also retain their femininity without straight up throwing their sexuality in your face. I’m not saying Molly achieved all of that, but she hit a few marks and was a decent female character when she could have easily have been a one-dimensional cardboard cut out in tight pants with a lot of cleavage.

I think the struggles I had with this novel were all bourne of my own limitations and preconceptions coming into it. Even though I feel like I need to reread again, it was still a gripping story. The events and the characters drove the story on through landscapes I couldn’t always get my head around, but they were strong enough that it didn’t matter. 

4 out of 5 stars.  

Neuromancer meets criteria three for the 2018 Read Harder Challenge - A classic of genre fiction.

Have you read Neuromancer? Did you enjoy it? Let me know in the comments below!