La Crosse Public Library discussion

Neuromancer is considered a classic. The novel is a staple of the cyberpunk genre, bringing forward new ideas about cyberspace and technology years before the internet was being created in government DARPA offices. Revisiting the book in 2020, I have to say that it doesn't really hold up under the scrutiny of a contemporary lens. Gibon's ideas and worldbuilding are top notch, but in the 35 years since he wrote the novel these ideas have been explored better by artists and writers inspired by classic works like Neuromancer. Gibson's development of characters leaves something wanting as well. Several characters stand out as fun bit players, but the main cast is uninspiring and mostly cliche. Gibson's sexualization of almost every female character in the book is cringe inducing as well, another unfortunate staple of the sci-fi genre that still persists in some works today. Squinting hard to imagine reading the book through an early 80s perspective does merit some appreciation for Gibson's inventive new ideas. However, unless you really want to dive into the history of cyberpunk and sci-fi as a genre, I would give this one a pass. -Peter

3 out of 5