81–87 of 87 posts
The quality is terrible as I wanted to make them as small as possible....
http://vpsland.superglobalmegacorp.com/low/neuromancer/neuro...
Read the book for the first time last year. I heard from some people that it hadn't aged too well—that it should be viewed as more of a precursor to things like Snowcrash —but I really loved it. In particular, the language used to describe drug states and events in cyberspace (such as the Kuang virus) was just so vivid and disorienting. (Or I guess "hypnagogic", to use a Gibsonian word.) A less talented author would…
I think Neuromancer aged better than a lot of sci fi. Gibson didn't go into technical details, which is a blessing when you deal with early 80s computer tech. Incidentally a lot of cyberpunk feels off in 2018. Nobody seemed to forecast the rise of China.
> "The Chinese," bellowed a drunken Australian, "Chinese bloody invented nerve-splicing. Give me the mainland for a nerve job any day. Fix you right, mate . . ."
> "Now that," Case said to his glass, all his bitterness suddenly rising in him like bile, "that is so much bullshit."
> The Japanese had already forgotten more neurosurgery than the Chinese had ever known. The black clinics of Chiba were the cutting edge, whole bodies of technique supplanted monthly, and still they couldn’t repair the damage he’d suffered in that Memphis hotel.
https://archive.org/stream/NeuromancerWilliamGibson/Neuroman...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think Neuromancer aged better than a lot of sci fi. Gibson didn't go into technical details, which is a blessing when you deal with early 80s computer tech. Incidentally a lot of cyberpunk feels off in 2018. Nobody seemed to forecast the rise of China.
In general, a lot of well-known cyberpunk seems to have underestimated governments--their competence, power, longevity, and reach. China features prominently in The Diamond Age as a location, but not as a powerful, cohesive, oppressive, incredibly successful authoritarian government. It's sort of a laughing stock in Snow Crash , and barely present in Neuromancer . Despite its reputation for being darkly cynical, I th…
It also nailed the gig economy.
The BBC did a great adaptation of the book to a radio play, complete with professional voice acting, sound effects, even music: [1] Unfortunately, it's only an abridged version. On the positive side, it's a quick listen, and well worth it if you're a fan (or just want to get a taste). [1] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S89BHnaxULo
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I read it twice, once in the mid-1990s, then a couple of years ago. I still love Gibson's language, and I love the ideas about AIs, but the flaws were much more apparent the second time around. For one, the creaky mechanics of the plot were much more transparent to me on re-eading it. The characters rush from location to location to find the next McGuffin, Case mostly being a passive spectator throughout. It feels li…
I agree with a lot of this. He's said himself that when he got the contract for a novel, he didn't know how to write one, and was kind of panicked about being boring. That's why the first 60 pages or so of the book (through the Sense/Net strike to get the Dixie Flatline's cartridge) is like a nonstop adrenaline rush. It's so exciting! I had no idea science fiction could be like that, the first time I read it. I stron…
I agree with the thread sentiment that the short stories are better than the novels and novellas, though I enjoyed them when I read them in the 1980's and again, maybe less so, recently. But Gernsback Continuum really resonated with me and I love the idea and metaphor that these zeigeist-driven unrealized futures exist and shimmer at the edge of reality. Visible to the tired, drugged, and crazy it's solidly in the same camp as Burroughs and Dick.
Read the book for the first time last year. I heard from some people that it hadn't aged too well—that it should be viewed as more of a precursor to things like Snowcrash —but I really loved it. In particular, the language used to describe drug states and events in cyberspace (such as the Kuang virus) was just so vivid and disorienting. (Or I guess "hypnagogic", to use a Gibsonian word.) A less talented author would…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I agree with a lot of this. He's said himself that when he got the contract for a novel, he didn't know how to write one, and was kind of panicked about being boring. That's why the first 60 pages or so of the book (through the Sense/Net strike to get the Dixie Flatline's cartridge) is like a nonstop adrenaline rush. It's so exciting! I had no idea science fiction could be like that, the first time I read it. I stron…
> ... Gernsback Continuum... I agree with the thread sentiment that the short stories are better than the novels and novellas, though I enjoyed them when I read them in the 1980's and again, maybe less so, recently. But Gernsback Continuum really resonated with me and I love the idea and metaphor that these zeigeist-driven unrealized futures exist and shimmer at the edge of reality. Visible to the tired, drugged, and…
I'm also writing some songs that are actually science fiction short stories, set to music. It's an interesting challenge.