Jᴀᴄᴜʀᴜᴛᴜ - Tʜᴇ Cᴀsᴛ Oᴜᴛ

Hey guys...

I just finished reading Neuromancer by William Gibson about a month ago. I tried to read it when I was a kid, and failed, but picked it up again and I must say...

Awesome. Way ahead of its time...it's amazing how much of the "future tech" of this 80's novel is stuff that we actually have today.

So...any other Gibson fans on this site? And if I liked Neuromancer, can you guys recommend similar books that I might enjoy? Thanks in advance.

I've read Count Zero and I'm working on Mona Lisa Overdrive. On a somewhat similar note (but much less sci-fi) I've read Spook Country by Gibson as well.

I'm thinking of re-reading it, too. I zipped through during a hot summer when I was staying in a dorm with no air conditioning ... most of my concentration went toward staying alive, not enjoying literature. I'm not sure I remember a single thing about it.

I loved the Sprawl trilogy, Gibson is the reason I got into cyberpunk. Virtual Light was really good too.

If you're looking for something similar try Accelerando, by Charles Stross. You can read it online (free and legal!) http://www.antipope.org/charlie/accelerando/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; You may not want to read the whole thing online but you can read enough to see if you'll like it.

I really don't like that book. I like later cyberpunk stuff, when other writers with better styles like Pat Cadigan and Bruce Sterling took it away from street-wise punks and, rightly, gave it to evil corporations. And Gibson back that early in his career was ten steps behind Daschiel Hammett in ability. On the whole the book is derivative, jumpy, ill-conceived and written like crap.

A fine novel that I rather enjoyed. I need to re-read it, as it's been years.

Neuromancer was exellent, although I think it's impact has been somewhat lost by so much of it coming true - in concept if not in detail. I read it while studying Computer Science at University, around 1988. It's impact was *way* greater then, and we (my fellow students and I) saw Gibson as this incredibly perceptive prophet.

Anyway, I actually like Gibson's more recent work now. The Bridge Trilogy are great, but my favourite is Pattern Recognition. I think he's become a better writer, even if his more recent books have had less impact.

HBJ

I have Gibsons books, havent got to them yet.. I have collected the Tom Clancy (stamped)s eries that from the description, kind of fall into the Cyber-line:

ForceTom Clancy's Net Force

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Clancy%27s_Net_" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tom Clancy's Net Force Explorers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_Force_Explorers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Might be worth investigating, like I said I am collecting the s two series along with other Tom Clancy stamped ones.

His later works are leaps and bounds beyond his early efforts. Neuromancer gave us the Look and vocabulary of cyberpunk in the mainstream. Check out Spook Country, his latest, just wow, he's grown as a writer over the years. Good stuff.

Rob

I haven't readmuch from him, some Chrome novel which i don't remember the title but it had that feel that made it stand out from the rest of the cyberpunk authors.
Bur for those who know his work a bit maybe you spotted my "online name"(pseudo in french not sure what you call it in english), which comes from "Johnny Mnemonic" and the Lo-Tek tribe of smugglers.
I chose it because here I'm part of what is called a sound system(we carry powerful and illegal speakers and play tekno music in woods and fields), and their description was so fitting my choice was made.

But enough about me!

"Johnny Mnemonic" is a data trafficker who has undergone cybernetic surgery to have a data storage system implanted in his head. The system allows him to store digital data too sensitive to risk transmission on computer networks. To keep the cargo secure, the data is locked by a password known only to the intended recipient. Johnny enters a trance-like state while the data is being transferred or the passwords are being exchanged, making him unaware of the contents and unable to retrieve it. He makes a modest living in the Sprawl by physically transporting sensitive information for corporations, underworld crime rings or wealthy individuals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Mnemonic" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

important note: ye who enter here thou shall forget the man of the wooden face
meaning Keanu Reeves and his movie suck ass so much they must be related to the man whose name is forbidden(KJA sucks KJA sucks KJA sucks... ooops i said it)

ps: the Chrome thing is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_Chrome" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;