William Gibson is credited as being the God Father of Cyber Punk, a sub genre of Sci Fi. I haven't the foggiest idea what cyber punk is, so this book should shed some light. This book is supposed to be the first of this genre, as well!

Official Summary

"Here is the novel that started it all, launching the cyberpunk generation, and the first novel to win the holy trinity of science fiction: the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award and the Philip K. Dick Award. With Neuromancer, William Gibson introduced the world to cyberspace--and science fiction has never been the same.

Case was the hottest computer cowboy cruising the information superhighway--jacking his consciousness into cyberspace, soaring through tactile lattices of data and logic, rustling encoded secrets for anyone with the money to buy his skills. Then he double-crossed the wrong people, who caught up with him in a big way--and burned the talent out of his brain, micron by micron. Banished from cyberspace, trapped in the meat of his physical body, Case courted death in the high-tech underworld. Until a shadowy conspiracy offered him a second chance--and a cure--for a price.... "

Nov 2005 - My review:

I have wanted to read this book for a very long time. It has been hailed as the first "cyber punk" book, and it appears that this book is itself the first part of three. Also, this book is credited as being a heavy influence on the Matrix movies. Having looked forward to reading it for so long, I would like to say that I enjoyed it. Sadly, I can't!

So what didn't I like about this book? I didn't like the style for starters. The book starts by describing Chiba and the Sprawl, which are huge cites, and the hopelessness of life there. And it introduces a number of characters, some of which have bearing later in the book, and some not... This is all very well, except that liberal use is made of futuristic words, or "technobabble" as it has become known. This is a Sci-fi book, so you expect a certain amount of technobabble, but it is rather heavy here, and it makes reading rather tedious.

What else did I not like? The characterisation, I felt, relied on stereotypes. ie the talented hacker down on his luck; the shell shocked ex military commander; the lethal female vigilante etc. Oh and the entire plot didn't engage my imagination either. The first half of the book I spent wondering what the story was about, and when the objective was revealed, I couldn't have cared less!

Having just ripped the book to shreads, I have to say that I am glad I read it. It does introduce some interesting sci-fi ideas which I have not come across before, such as the SimStim, which is a great concept. No doubt had I read this book when it was first released in 1986, it would have had more of an impact on me. However, reading it in 2005, when we have the internet, films like the Matrix, and even cloning and tissue research, the concepts presented here don't seem quite so radical.

I could only recommend this book for completists or sci-fi historians. Oh! And I still don't know what cyber punk is!

Now I am done reading this, I shall send it out into the big brave world. Either as a ring or a ray. Participants (not necessarily in this order) so far are:

lottiotta (UK) No longer participating.
Squirk (UK)
tehuti (UK)
turquoisefloyd (UK)
KarenBC (Canada)
Hobbit (US - anywhere)
marko167 (Switzerland)
MrsDanvers (UK)
AliceF (UK)
LyzzyBee (UK/USA)<-The book is here!
Matth3w (UK/USA)
VasilisaSage (USA)
candy-is-dandy (UK)

The book left as a ray in December 2005. First stop - Squirk!

July 2006 - No one can contact Akhena, who appears to be giving bookcrossing a rest. Akhena, if you still want to partake in the ring, please let me know.

Aug 2007 - I moved LizzyBee down the list to be before Matth3w as they are related.

Sorry I've taken so long to journal this. It arrived at my work before Christmas and I was off sick so didn't pick it up until today. I have a few books to get to before this one, but hopefully I will be able to read it in the not-too-distant future.

Thank you for the sugar-rush extras!

Sorry I took so long to read this - I was caught up in a ray-alanche. However, once I picked up the book, I could hardly put it down. A fast-paced sci-fi read. In some ways, I wish I hadn't had seen 'The Matrix' as images from it, particularly Zion and Molly, kept trying to pop up in my mind as I read, but the book's got a strong enough personality of its own and it was a fantastic read (and I know the this book was only one of very many influences for the Matrix).

Many thanks Cayenne-UK for sharing. I'll post it to Tehuti when I have an address.

I've heard a lot about this so am curious to read it. Thank you cayenne-uk for the opportunity.

Oh dear, a number of BCers whose opinions I greatly respect rave about this, but I must admit I consider it to be one of the worst books I've ever read. I thought the writing style was dreadful and the plot pretty well non-existent. I struggled through to the end to see if it would improve, but alas it did not.

Received from tehuti today - thanks!

Well! It was pretty good but I'm not overwhelmed by it. My mind was not blown. I'm not gonna lie awake tonight thinking about it. I guess I've read so much else in the past that was of this ilk.

I'm still glad I got to read it, though.

Will now PM Akhena so I can send it onto her.

RELEASE NOTES:

Finally!! Posting this off today. Sorry about the delay.

Received yesterday - perfect timing as I just finished another Ring book the day before. I'm looking forward to reading it - with the wildly varying reviews it's had so far.

Cayenne - shall I try to contact Akhena?

No-one can reach Akhena so he/she has been removed from the circulation list.

Sending this book off to Hobbit this coming week. I had an awful time getting into it - and I really wanted to! Thanks for including me though Cayenne-UK - I appreciate the chance to give it a go.

I received this in today's mail. I actually read this book back in the '80s sometime, before there was such a term as cyber punk (or before I'd heard of it) but I don't have a copy any longer. My teenager is particularly interested in reading it and, if he's reasonably responsible and quick about it, I will try to give it a quick re-read also before sending it on. Back when I read it, I recall that it seemed pretty radical and unique. I suspect that, as Cayenne-UK indicated, so many of the ideas have become standard in other SF, it may not feel so interesting.

Thanks for sharing!

Edited to add: Very cute bookmark included!

Received safe and sound. It is next up on mount TBR.

Thanks.

Neuromancer is a clever, funny, very good piece of science fiction. Surprisingly easy to read, the author managed to handle a complicated plot in an easy manner that doesn’t bog down the reader with too much technical info and metaphysical clap-trap. I am not adverse to reading heavier sci-fi but often the genre has suffered by frightening a casual reader away. This book was a breath of fresh air in the sometimes stuffy genre. I recommend this book to sci-fi aficionados and newbies both. Enjoy.

Arrived safely, thanks marko. I wonder if I'll 'get' it.

As I have kept this book for too long and still haven't got around to reading it I have arranged with Cayenne-UK to be moved down the list and am passing it on to the next in line. I hope it will find its way back to me eventually. Apologies for the hold-up.

Received in the post from candy-is-dandy and next in line to be read.

My overall feeling is how much of Gibson's predictions are well on the way, now, and a strange feeling of loss, which is probably loss of innnocence - the excitement I got when I first read this in the late 1980s is no longer there.

If you come to this fresh, but have spent time immersed in "The Matrix" it may leave you cold.

In the run-up to he release of the ultimate director's cut of "Blade Runner" I read that after the first 15 minutes Gibson ran from the cinema, as Ridley Scott had realised on screen the world he was creating in his first novel. Nevertheless he continued and gave us cyber-punk for which readers in the 1980s were most grateful.

RELEASE NOTES:

Finally I'm getting this off to AliceF with huge apologies for the delay.

Gratefully received from MrsDanvers by post yesterday... and now despairing about the number of ring books on my TBR list, not to mention the length of the list itself!

I've kept this far too long... very sorry... but - a few weeks ago - I thought it would be disrespectful to the remaining people on the list for me to have had it so long and done nothing with it (their wait would have been for nothing), so I tried reading it again and this time persevered. It took a while (especially as I only manage a few minutes at a time, when I'm very tired these days), but last week I finally reached half way through the book, and suddenly I discovered... I'm actually able to follow it now! So I'm rereading the first half with a new understanding, as I didn't get it at all to start with.

Watch this space!

Fascinating and original imagination... but just alien enough for me to struggle to follow it at times. Won't put me off Gibson, though... I'm already a fan of a more recent book of his, Pattern Recognition.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

On its way...

Received yesterday - thanks Alice. Oh dear, though... looking at the reviews and at the book itself... I really don't think I can face it! I think I may have got it mixed up with Neverwhere (is that the one where they live under London and have the names of London places?)

Anyway, I'll keep it a few days and if I can't face it at all, I'll get the next address and send it on (Matthew has read it already and only wanted to re-read it if I was reading it...he keeps trying to help me towards reading more sci-fi)

Hm... considering... will update soon!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posting to Candy-is-Dandy on Saturday.

This has arrived back with me. Thank you. I intend to get round to reading it this time.

I have tried to read this a couple of times but have failed to get into it. I’ve had it much too long so time to share it elsewhere.

For the mega-book table at the UK Unconvention 2018. Where will it go next?

Picked up at uncon, for release elsewhere

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