Neuromancer Puns

I like sci fi, what I've seen in shows and movies. The Fifth Element is one of my favourite films. But the closest I've really gotten to reading a sci fi book was an alien smut romance. I'm sorry.

If none of the books listed are what you would recommend to an absolute sci fi beginner, please feel free to suggest other books, I can almost definitely get them from my library. But I was gifted these books over Christmas after mentioning in passing I'd like to get into the genre, and I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed.

If it helps, a few things I enjoy in the books I read are strong friendships, morally grey characters, romance, coming of age stories, and a few things I'm less fond of are super political-centric stories (a little is fine, I just don't like the ENTIRE story to be about politics), long and detailed battle scenes, and gratuitous descriptions about women. I'm not a prude, I just don't like when the shape of a breast is described for no plot furthering reason lol.

Anyway, thanks in advance! I'm excited to start reading.

edit: THANK YOU so much to everyone who has taken the time to comment, I just woke up and couldn't believe how many people had been so helpful. I was a bit intimidated posting in this sub, the only book sub I'm active in is the romancebooks sub and that place is a cesspool of toxicity and this has been an incredibly pleasant surprise. Thank you all for being so welcoming as well!

They're an easy and fun read. It goes by other names, but the Sprawl Trilogy consists of

Neuromancer (1984), arguably the first true cyberpunk book. Yes there were others before this, but this is (again, arguably) the one that everyone can point to and say "Yep, this is cyberpunk."

Quick note: I'm going to use cyberpunk to refer to the genre, and Cyberpunk to refer to the video game/TTRPG

Count Zero (1986) will look the most like Cyberpunk to out of the bunch with its plot. AIs running around as Voodoo Gods, a heist gone wrong from a megacorp, the CEO of another megacorp looking for immortality. I'm being intentionally vague here because you can either read the wiki synopsis or, better yet, get the books and read 'em.

Mona List Overdrive (1988) wraps the whole thing up, has characters and stories from the previous books dove tail, and >!had an ending that would give Gary The Prophet a boner/heart attack!<. Personally I liked this one the best, but it wouldn't make sense without reading the first two (almost the entire plot relies on the events of the first two books, and by "almost" I mean everything).

They're pretty easy to find, a quick search of Powell's Books, Barnes and Noble, eBay, or Amazon will turn them up, and they might even be at your local [used] bookstore! And this isn't the only literature out there, but this is a great place to start if you want more cyberpunk.

Funnily enough, Mike Pondsmith has said that the Sprawl Trilogy didn't influence Cyberpunk (1988). But if you read one of these books you'll probably be like me and go "... are you sure?" They both came out of the 80s and the economic fears, global concerns, technological changes, and cultural shifts that occurred during that time (which also was the product of the 60s and 70s) so its very possible to have two creations look so similar from two different sources. But again"... are you sure?"

So I played Cyberpunk since day one with 200 hours and 2 playthroughs. I tried starting another one last week but it didn't feel right but I still needed my dose of cyberpunk. I picked up the daddy of all of Cyberpunk, Neuromancer by William Gibson. For those who don't know, this book basically kickstarted and inspired the whole cyberpunk genre. It created a lot of the terms we see in cyberpunk and other media like "cyberdeck", "cyberspace" etc. I'm only 50 pages in but I LOVE it so far. This book has a unique writing style and uses a lot of made up terms but if you played cyberpunk, a lot of the terms in the book make sense because all our current cyberpunk media is basically derived from this book.

My short analysis; Henry Dorsett Case is a console cowboy who was stripped of his ability to enter cyberspace when he tried to steal from his employers. He ends up becoming a low-life thug who committs petty-level crimes to make a living. He ends up getting sick and doesn't have sufficient funds to seek treatment. He's approached by a man called Armitage who offers him treatment and money if he completes a job. He's set-up with a bodyguard razorgirl and future lover going by Molly Millions.

p.s. this book created a lot of the clichés you see to this day so it may kinda seem a bit lame but just keep in mind that this was the O.G.

Many people consider Neuromancer to be the definitive cyberpunk novel and as important to legitimizing the genre as Blade Runner or the Matrix.

I've seen various lists of Solarpunk books but have not read any of them and was wondering if there is something akin to a "must read" in this subgenre.

Thanks in advance

https://booknest.eu/reviews/charles/934-neuromancer

NEUROMANCER is the original cyberpunk novel which, along with the film version of Blade Runner by Ridley Scott, created the genre. The book, itself, is actually quite flawed but more than makes up for it with the sheer depth of the vision presented to the reader. In what is actually a fairly short book, an entire world is introduced and went on to inspire hundreds of knock-offs, pastiches, and some genuinely new ideas. If you're a gamer, watched a lot of anime, or enjoy dystopian sci-fi from the 80s as well as early 90s then you probably have seen something inspired by this world. Like the Lord of the Rings for fantasy, it is a work you owe it to yourself to read if you like cyberpunk.

The premise is the world has utterly gone to crap but technology has continued to advance. The world is a buffet of interconnected cultures, particularly Asian, but stuffed together in a squalid collection of polluted cities. Henry Case is a console jockey (a hacker before the concept became prevalent) who has been rendered chemically unable to link with the internet's virtual reality interface.

A ruthless criminal and drug dealer, he would do anything to be able to get back on the internet (called, I kid you not, the Matrix). The opportunity for him to get back online comes in the form of the beautiful Molly Millions who is willing to hook him up with her employer's contacts if he helps her with a mission to remove the restrictions on an already-insane Artificial Intelligence. It's a profoundly bad idea but Case is desperate enough to do it--as is everyone else the A.I. Wintermute has assembled to carry out its insane mission.

What follows is a surreal journey through everything from the space station belonging to a cryogenically frozen incestuous band of trillionaires, strip clubs for cyborged prostitutes, and even a universe existing digitally (which was far more impressive back in the early 80s). The grotesque mixes with the amazing mixes with the gritty, making a sort of techno Oceans 11 meets Alice and Wonderland combination--only for adults and on acid.

Part of what makes the book so good is the protagonists are deeply damaged but relatable. Despite Gibson having something of an "economical" relationship with description, you get to know Molly and Case intimately to the point they felt like real people to me. Molly was an early crush of my fourteen-year-old self and only slightly less real than the other girls a

Im not looking for anything obvious. Id prefer settings that are a bit more abstract or "out there". Think the cyber-punk setting of The Matrix, Neuromancer or influenced by Philip K Dick.

I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream would be the perfect setting. Gameplay can range from anything.

Another game that is somewhat close is Nier Automata.

Generally just weird settings with an interesting atmosphere. Any type of genre would be great.

Couple of questions about game from noob.

1. Is outer realms lore perk \ profession will be usefull in any checks, do i miss any dialogues if it's just zero?

- Still not clear, possibly yes

2. Could i complite Harveks companion quest if i betray imperial and save fortress? 'Cause when i try to not betray he says something like 'that bastard finally die, but i have a lot more'.

-seems like yes.

3. Where i can find my renown stat?

- Open your vagrus profile (bottom left corner), there is a number with skull and wings on a top right corner of a profile tab, this is ur renown

4. Where I can find companions relationship respect attitude stat ?

- There is a writing under portrait of companions : 'Loyality: %stat of loyality%'

5. How could i know how much criminality stats i have? Because when i pay to loaders guild it says ' -3 ImperialCriminal ' , but how could i know exactly stat? Seems like it's not in game interface and internal stat. U could argue that I shouldn't know internal Imperial officers information so there is kinda according to game lore, ok, but why i can't speak with some NPC about it, or bribe Imperial officer to know that. Moreover why i can see factions stats and can't see Criminal stat. Moreover, if i can't see it why it tells ' -3 criminal' . All of that makes me mad. Therefore, if i'm not missing something, any tips to know exact stat (e.g. hack game with artmoney or whatever soft) appreciated

- unclear, seems like no stat.

6. Somehow miss quest about neuromance on the SE part of map, afai remember somebody gives u it in TZ shelter, so i just catch another bug or it's my loyality faction question (all sucks except loaders and rebels) ? Or Is it because i have bad both churches relations (know around 0 because of some occasional trade orders and undead kills, but it was down to 100 in peak).

- U can take the quest instanly only if u roll Crifta from Braxius, if not, it appears after u hire Criftaa and bounty for Orc in TorZag Shelter

7. How can i find those f**ng slave lovers? Google says they call me once i reach enough loyality with them, but it's already 150...

- U should go without slaves, and rest a night ouside a town. Also it requires at least Tier 2 reputation with abolishonists (300 points i believe)

8. Is there any quests on crossrode tile? I met woman and feed her, she said come later maybe we can deal or whatever, but nothing happen on crossroad since then. Am i missing something, maybe

Okay, so I'm finally going to read these books, but I can't decide where to start.

I feel like I have to read Do Androids Dream because it was the basis of so many things, Bladerunner and more. I loved Altered Carbon on TV, so I think I'll dig the trilogy of books. And, I just know I need to read Neuromancer, so it's on the list.

Where do I begin? I want to buy them all, but my wife thinks I'm crazy since I don't read much. Am I missing any major Cyberpunk books? I guess having a list of 5 is too much already, plus Neuromancer has sequels. Maybe I'll stick within these and see if I can make it happen.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Just wow, its been a while since I’ve read something so good, I would go over everything i liked but I had a 3 month break in between reading it cause of school. Something about that line at the end “He never saw Molly again” made me tear up. The only thing i didn’t get is what is happening when he sees neuromancer, linda and himself, what did he see there ?

I'm looking for newer cyberpunk, that's come out in the last decade or so. I'm a sci-fi nut, and I'm especially a nut for things that are unconventional or weird.

I believe we would have more action scenes. Expanding the Sense/Net heist and adding some guards in Straylight that Case and Maelcum will have to deal with,etc.

Is possible that Cath and Bruce could be cut from the film.

Dixie would probably have a physical body in the cyberspace.

Updating the technology. I don't want to see this, but i can see Hollywood doing it.

So, what you think would me the main changes?

EDIT - This passage pulls the two texts together somewhat I thought. Spiral arms of systems that are always out of reach is kinda a great summary of the Pynchonian backbone.

AND FLOWED, FLOWERED FOR HIM, FLUID NEON ORIGAMI TRICK, THE UNFOLDING OF HIS DISTANCELESS HOME, HIS COUNTRY, TRANSPARENT 3D CHESSBOARD EXTENDING TO INFINTY. INNER EYE OPENING TO THE STEPPED SCARLET PYRAMID OF THE EASTERN SEABOARD FISSION AUTHORITY BURNING BEYOND THE GREEN CUBES OF MITSUBISHI BANK OF AMERICA, AND HIGH AND VERY FAR AWAY HE SAW THE SPIRAL ARMS OF MILITARY SYSTEMS, FOREVER BEYOND HIS REACH.

^(-) ^(Neuromancer) ^([p. 57])

This quote actually makes me think of Inherent Vice more than it does GR, which happens to be logical to me because I see Vice as a sort of "The Making of Gravity's Rainbow" docu-drama!

EDIT 2 - As another (more personal) connection, I listened to anything by trumpeter Jon Hassell when reading GR years ago, and it complemented the text extremely well. Now the same thing is happening with Neuromancer. Hassell's rhythms and soundscapes really enhance the pulse of the story. I'm sometimes compelled to say that Jon Hassell's recordings are simply the best things I've ever heard. He still makes music and no, I'm not affiliated with him and not trying to promote anything... just a fan.

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So... I'm about 1/3 of the way through Neuromancer, my first Gibson trip, and thought of something I've been meaning to ask about here. Is there a direct connection between Gravity's Rainbow and the Cyberpunk genre?

As a professor who has been asked in the past to teach survey courses in the general Humanities, I had been given a textbook (required by the department) that covers prehistory through 1990 - 2010! Not a lot of space here for examination, even if the full text was used for two semesters. (I took many and many liberties with my version of a curriculum.)

One day I decided to look up Pynchon in the index. I found one mention around the 1980s and 1990s topics in the textbook. The heading was Cyberpunk. One paragraph. Stating simply that William Gibson (describing briefly mangled, short-circuited and dystopian futures) was inspired by Gravity's Rainbow (and stating not much else at all).

I hadn't heard about this connection before glancing in this rather weakling of a textbook, and I haven't heard anything about it since. Then again I don't read academia on Pynchon

I read a good bit of sci-fi (30 or so books a year), but for whatever reason had never gotten around to Neuromancer. Finally I took the plunge! Now, I have to caveat that I have a screaming newborn and am thus not sleeping or able to read for longer than 10 minutes at a time… so that could be the cause. But, I’m writing this because I was surprised at how difficult a time I had understanding Neuromancer. For all the love and admiration it gets, I’ve never really heard others voice this opinion, so curious if I’m alone.

Essentially, I loved and enjoyed the vibe, the mood, atmosphere, and some of the (ahead of its time) concepts (cyberspace, AIs, genetic engineering, etc.). But, lord knows I was straining to fully grok things like…

• Is cyberspace the same as the matrix and is it embodied? Or what does it actually look like? And you can flip a switch to see from someone else’s POV in the real world?
• There’s two separate AIs competing? But they are the same entity?
• Why is a person called “THE Finn”?? And how does he manage to show up everywhere? And I thiiiink half way through the novel this is basically just the AI?
• Who is this weird family that “owns” the AI, and what’s their motivation?
• Are we in space for a good chunk of this novel? On a spin dle?
• Lastly, what in the world are the Rastafarian guys saying? I think I comprehended half of that dialogue.

Anyways, some of that is tongue in cheek… and I know I can Google for the answers… but just eager to know if my brain failed me here, or if Neuromancer had this effect on anyone else? FWIW, despite my gaps in understanding, I managed to really enjoy the feel.

I played Cyberpunk first, then I read Neuromancer. I found the plot of the game to be very similar to the story told in the novel, far too similar for my tastes.

Spoilers of Neuromancer follow:

First of all we have the first act of the game, the basic story is the same: the protagonist ends up in trouble and has to somehow rebuild their life. Said protagonist gets hired by a rich guy to be part of a dangerous heist, involving an all powerful corporation and a cutting edge piece of technology. Then the similarities continue with the second act, with both protagonists discovering the cutting edge piece of technology holds the recording of a human consciousness, which eventually ends up in their heads; both protagonists have to work for/with an AI of dubious ethics to get out of the situation they're in; and at least two of the endings of the game echo the ending of the novel. Of course there are substantial differences from the second act onwards, and I'm fine with taking inspiration from literature, or using certain plot points, as long as the writers do work to make them their own, and don't just copy other people's content with minor changes. Yet CDPR didn't create the universe in which the game is set (It was originally a tabletop game), so they didn't do any worldbuilding; and took so much of the story and tropes from a novel, I cannot help being disappointed at how little truly original content there is in this game. I still enjoy the game, but I would have appreciated a bit more of an effort in the writing department. I feel they got away with it because Neuromancer is a pretty niche novel, and not many people have read it. I hope we'll see something different when they release the expansions, because I know they can write their own stuff, it would be disappointing to see them limiting themselves to writing a patchwork of other people's ideas and concepts with some extra content thrown in.

So, as I post all of these “Cover Gallery” images,I have to point out that there are going to be a few of these editions that I don’t actually own. I’m posting the first of these today, so I thought I’d make a parallel post outlining what I’m still looking to add to my collection, and what I can offer in exchange. Please let me know if you are in a position to sell or swap for any!

NEED:

• Voyager Expanded Book (Gallery #11). I have an electronic copy, given to me by the publisher Bob Stein, but I’d really still like to get a physical copy of the packaging and diskette.
• 1997 Arthur Addison Audiobook on cassette (upcoming in Gallery #21)
• Slovenian, Nevromant (upcoming in Gallery #28). Cankarjeva založba (publisher). Samo Kuščer (translator)
• Estonian (upcoming in Gallery #50). Metsarada (publisher). Kristel R. Sits (Translator), Mart Kalvet (Translator)
• Georgian, ნეირომანსერი (upcoming in Gallery #55). ზაზა კოშკაძე (Translator). ბაკურ სულაკაურის გამომცემლობა (publisher). I have actually seen this edition for sale on web sites in Georgia, but cannot find a way to get it shipped to the US. If you can purchase from Georgia, or know of a reshipper, Please let me know!

WANT:

• Brazilian paperback with monochrome "Molly" image on cover
• UK Gollancz First hardcover

HAVE SPARE COPIES TO TRADE:

• Either (but not both) of the Easton Press editions (Gallery #09, #29)
• 1994 10th Anniversary Ace Hardcover (upcoming in Gallery #13)
• Spanish 1989 translation (upcoming in Gallery #14. I have both a signed hardcover and a mass market paperback, willing to swap either one
• Time Warner Audiobook cassette (upcoming in Gallery #17)
• Italian translation (upcoming in Gallery #22). I have both a hardcover and a trade paperback (with DJ), willing to swap either one
• Polish paperback, two different editions (upcoming in Gallery #32)
• 2004 Books on Tape Audiobook by Robertson Dean, in CD format (upcoming in Gallery #33)
• 2004 Books on Tape Audiobook by Robertson Dean, in Playaway format (upcoming in Gallery #35)
• Norwegian all-in-one Sprawl Trilogy hardcover
• Dutch all-in-one Sprawl Trilogy hardcover

"And Ratz was there, and Linda Lee, Wage and Lonny Zone, a hundred faces from the neon forest, sailors and hustlers and whores, where the sky is poisoned silver, beyond chain link and the prison of the skull."

This is right after Case gets surgery toward the beginning. What is "the prison of the skull"? Is this a reference to Ninsei or the matrix?

So yesterday I bought two Tortured relics from the cabinet. Opened one and got Blood Drive, and then the second hit me straight in the face with a Neuromancer. How good is she?

I was left with a mixed feeling when I finished the first book, not sure if I should even continue to read the next one.

Here are some problems I had with it.

I should say that English is not my first language so that might have been a factor, but I usually don't have trouble following books written in English, and if I don't understand a word I search for its meaning before continuing the book.

so the first problem was that it was really hard to follow in places to the point that I had to reread the part twice or more to really understand what was going on it got so chaotic in places that I felt frustrated. Even though I read a lot of parts a couple of times I feel like I missed out on something, but I am not sure if reading it again is worth the time.

The second problem is I don't understand what are the Concepts mentioned in the book that brought this book so much praise. Everything that was mentioned felt like yeah I heard about that somewhere else already, nothing new... There are tons of stories I was exposed to from my teenage years about AI's and future technology and dystopian worlds. How they will change society, individual. What goods and troubles they might bring. maybe I am just dumb and the core concept of the book flew right over my head, point it out for me if I am missing something, please.

The story itself was ok, I guess? Characters were somewhat interesting although not the most interesting ones I ever read about or watched. Again it felt like: Yeah I have been exposed to these archetypes somewhere already many times and they don't bring anything new or interesting to the table. Albeit Wintermute was my favorite and very intriguing and interaction between him and Case was the most interesting part of the book to me.

So back to the story. The diverse group of individuals goes for the "heist" That was planned by AI and the goal of it is to kill the AI itself so that it can transform into something else and be free. OK not bad I can ride with that. But as soon as the plan was successful, it felt like nothing happened... nothing really changed. Like it was just an ordinary job in an ordinary day of these crazy people. It gave me no closure whatsoever. Molly runs away because she has trouble with commitment back to her usual business. Case kinda went over it and went back to his usual business of being a cowboy. Wintermute showed up (or not Wintermute whatever he ended up being) telling him that now it is communicating with others like

It's not The Matrix movie, but the cyberspace from the book Neuromancer.

As an example: Shadowrun from Megadrive executed that really well regardless of the hardware limitations of that era (which gives it even more charm, but I digress).

Anyone else remember when Neuromancer came out in 1984 & everyone was reading it at the same time? Here's why we never got a movie: https://www.cbr.com/neuromancer-movie-development-hell/