Neuromancer

By: William Gibson

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

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)

Awesome. The stuff of dreams.

The amazing language used by the author created vivid and realistic images in my mind. The reader's voice was a little creepy, at first, when he attempted the female character voices, but I became accustomed to the sound and compensated.

I can easily see that this was a primary source for many other stories and movies since it was released. Why have I never seen a Neuromancer movie? I mean, we definitely have the technology to create most of what I saw in my own mind. Johnny Mnemonic is the closest thing I have seen in the way of this style of story. Suddenly, The Matrix seems like a cheap copy-cat. I absolutely wish this story would be made into a movie.

A capturing story, told by a iffy narrator.

Having completed the Sprawl Trilogy earlier today, I can easily say that these books are absolutely worth getting into, if that's all your worried about.

Neuromancer, to me, was more of a feeling than an actual story; I found the first few chapters impossibly hard to follow, and I was considering giving the book up. I'd say about 4 hours in I unconsciously changed the way I took in the story, going from my usual method of meticulously taking in every word, to instead letting the book waft me through the story. If you come into Neuromancer with the idea that you're going to take in every sentence, change your expectations -- Gibson writes incredibly densely, and the narrator speaks with a monotonous, steady voice, which can take you from dialogue to intense combat without ever wavering -- jarring, if you are not prepared.

But don't let the questionable narration keep you from trying Neuromancer, because you will not regret it. Gibson, if you will let him, will immerse you so deeply into his world that you'll forget it's not your own. The characters, the tech, the jargon and jive, all effortlessly blended together to make a classic, but unique Cyberpunk world.

Difficult listen for me

I had a very difficult time following the story for a number of reasons. I wanted to read this book, because it is said to have started the idea of the matrix and the Matrix is a top movie for me so I kept expecting twists like the matrix. Listening to this book rather than reading it didn't work well for me, a moments lack in attention and I had no idea who was talking, where they were and why. I never got a sense of true urgency of the situation that they were fighting for other than the character's personal situation. I am going to have to give this one another listen, maybe a read?

Cyberpunk Roots

Two issues. I really wish they would have female voice actresses doing the female characters. The narrator does a fine job- but its really awkward listening to men imitate female voices. it just sounds dumb. second, the afterward is atrocious and annoying. I couldn't finish it. Its a love letter to Gibson from some other author and he insults and alienates cyberpunk genre fans. Its a bit pretentious and way off topic IMHO.

Seminal fiction with perfect narration

NEUROMANCER, beyond being a landmark in the sci-fi genre, is just a plainly well-written novel by one of the best current practitioners in the English language. It's a hard-boiled noir tale set in a brilliant future imagined in the 1980s. If that doesn't sell you, then this just isn't your cup of tea.

Roberston Dean perfectly executes the narration here-- his low-toned, guttural voice complements the prose in a surprising way. I had read NEUROMANCER before listening to it here, and found I enjoyed it in a whole new way, which is rare for me when it comes to audiobooks on fiction.

Very informative of present day

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed reaching the end and reading the epilogue that reviews all of the fresh ideas and new vocabulary that Neuromancer has brought to the tech world.

A prerequisite for all sci-fi buffs!

I have read this book at least 20 times and this was the first time I ever listened to it. At first, it may seem a bit too esoteric for most, but this is an awesome read that anyone should be able to get a handle on. Just read it. I mean... Listen. Until we can all jack in.

It's generally okey

But not more than ok. It's very secondary to Ph. K. Dick, who is truly a master of cyberpunk. If you don't mind that - go ahead.

Almost perfect (except for the narration)

While I've been a fan of the cyberpunk subgenre for as long as I can remember, this is the first William Gibson story that I've dove into. It did not disappoint. It became blatantly clear that Mr. Gibson has done for cyberpunk, what Tolkien did for high fantasy.

All that being said, the only thing that stops this from being a perfect experience was the narration. While the narrator did not have terrible performance, his voice did tend to develop a monotonous quality at times. Also, it may not hurt him to take a few dialect classes.

A classic that has held up well..

It's been more years than I care to remember since I first read this book. So, I was a bit nervous to get the audio version and give it another go. The story holds up very well though, and the few anachronisms lend character more than distract from the plot. At least, that is my opinion. The narrator's performance is very good.