Neuromancer

By: William Gibson

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Twenty years ago, it was as if someone turned on a light. The future blazed into existence with each deliberate word that William Gibson laid down. The winner of Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick Awards, Neuromancer didn't just explode onto the science fiction scene - it permeated into the collective consciousness, culture, science, and technology.Today, there is only one science fiction masterpiece to thank for the term "cyberpunk," for easing the way into the information age and Internet society. Neuromancer's virtual reality has become real. And yet, William Gibson's gritty, sophisticated vision still manages to inspire the minds that lead mankind ever further into the future.

©1984 William Gibson (P)2011 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Unforgettable ... The richness of Gibson’s world is incredible.” (Chicago Sun-Times)

“Freshly imagined, compellingly detailed, and chilling in its implications.” (The New York Times)

"Serious science fiction and fantasy readers cannot resist the classics.... That’s what makes the Penguin Galaxy series so appealing.... Each of the novels here has earned their place in the halls of literary history.... Their small form factor and minimalist covers call out to readers and make them fun to read all over again.” (Kirkus Reviews)

A classic that drags

Over all I am a big cyberpunk fan, and with this being the god father of cyberpunk I thought I would like this.Sadly I just could not get into it, Its not that out dated Ideas that have been revisioned by new works by other people that have me. I love old tech stories and the ways people thought it would grow ( such as Ben Bova's works ). In all honesty it is in large parts the editing.

This is one of those rare books that an abridged version might be better, there are just times and ideas where this book just flat out drags out to the point of boring the reader.
I cant help but feel had this book been re-edited in a better way, It could have been amazing.

Probably should have read, rather than listened

Well performed, but a lot to absorb. would have preferred to be able to flip back at points, hard to do on an audiobook.

The narrator slightly decreased my enjoyment

The narrator has a deep and sonorous voice, but that voice ended up making me kind of spaced-out and that made it difficult to pay attention to what was being said at times. I found myself not quite listening sometimes falling asleep. So it made it difficult for me to listen to the book plus it's difficult for me to hear deep bass voices sometimes even though my voice itself is deep and basey. I find it interesting how many things Gibson talked about in this book that we still use in today's society, he talked about the Matrix, cyberspace, and so many other things that are ubiquitous in the lingo of today's society.

Very confusing book.

This book took too much concentration to finally get the gist of what was going on. Maybe it was over my head? Anyway I was not especially impressed with story line.

Still the best...

no review necessary. anyone would love this book if they're a fan of cyberpunk/sci-fi. get thos book now.

Went back to this one.

Read this book as a teen and I loved it. I am a sucker for bleak future. Gibson does it best. I have no idea what the last chapter was. Honestly the earlier books are way better in my option. Give it a listen.

Great Vision and Great Story

Wow, this book has just become one of my all time favorites. I plan to listen to it or read it again. I'm only just now getting more into Sci-Fi, but I was not only impressed by the vision of the future as Gibson saw it in 1983, but the vibe he conveys and how interesting and suspenseful the story is. In the forward Gibson mentions similarities with Blade Runner, with it's murky, misty China town portrayal, and though the vibe is similar and it deals with similar themes, Neuromancer's story and characters are leagues better. The story proceeds like a mystery with each unrevealing blowing your mind, and you can't wait to figure out what happens next.

Great precursor to the Matrix and others...

This book is well written and the narration is pretty good as well. While it can seem a bit dated at times the story holds true to some of our fears about the future and nature of reality. While I do feel that the technical jargon was a bit much at times, forced even, it didn't detract from the story. If your a fan of this genre, this is a must - listen for sure. You can hear the modern versions throughout the story. I don't think it's a five star but I'd give it a 4.5 for sure.

never gets old

the original and the absolute best. William Gibson established a world 30 years ago that feels as fresh as if he wrote the book yesterday. despite having read this book probably 25 times, the narration made it new yet again. wonderful.

One of my Favorite Books With a Meh Performance

As my title says I love the book and the story is great. However the voice was good when doing male voices, but the female characters sounded identical and a bit like they're doped up, even if the character isn't high. At first it was annoying but I got used to it. Some of the male character have this same voice too like the character Wage to name one. I would recommend this audio book, but I wouldn't say it is a must listen.