Neuromancer  (English, Paperback, Gibson William)

Neuromancer is the first part in William Gibson’s seminal cyberpunk trilogy: Sprawl.

Summary of the Book

The Matrix is a hidden world that exists in cyberspace. Within the Matrix, every byte takes the form of a massive hallucination. Hackers access the Matrix through their central nervous systems. They are capable of unleashing hell on the cyberspace, and they are hired by organizations to carry out their underground activities. Henry Dorsett Case lost his ability to touch the Matrix when his former employees damaged his nervous system with a mycotoxin. They rendered him unemployable, and Case constantly seeks a cure. His hunt brings him to a man called Armitage, a former military officer with an unusual proposition. Case must work for him, and in turn, he will get back the access he so desperately desires. Case agrees, but once he discovers Armitage’s target, he begins to freeze in terror. The madman wants to take on the dangerous Tessier-Ashpool business clan’s artificial intelligence that orbits the Earth. Case is accompanied by a mercenary working for Armitage, cybernetically augmented girl called Molly Millions, and the consciousness of a dead man, still alive within the Matrix.

About William Gibson

William Gibson is an American-Canadian novelist and essayist who is known for his work in the cyberpunk and speculative fiction genres. Gibson pioneered the cyberpunk genre, even coining the phrase in his short story, Burning Chrome.

Cultural Significance of the Book

This book is credited with the institution of the cyberpunk genre, and has gathered a cult following since its original release.

Series Reading Order

Neuromancer leads directly into Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive, together comprising the Sprawl Trilogy.