Neuromancer

By far one of the most important and influential sci-fi books of the outgoing 20th century. Also, at the time, highly original, even though the genre was ripe already. I still occasionally re-read it, and find it refreshing. Gibson has some idiosyncrasies to which my reaction flip-flops between amused recognition and somewhat eye-rolling recollection, like is style in describing outer appearances - including apparel. But if you look beyond his stylistic usage of shtics and jargon, there is a deeply humanistic mind. His writing is still relevant today. That's a handful for a sci-fi author. Gibson seems to do it accidentally, which it isn't. Welcome to the Sprawl. Welcome to old but new. Welcome to the sky tuned to a dead channel - which noone born today even knows...

"Cyberpunk is not about saving humanity, it's about saving yourself" Neuromancer. The book that started cyberpunk, and coined cyberspace. It also heavily influenced the matrix - had the matrix, had a Zion, and had Molly who Trinity was based off of. It was not an easy read. Scenes were disjointed, and the amount of world specific jargon was massive. The pace was odd, I didn't understand character motivations all the time, and I would catch myself a little lost at times. The story also lacked a little of the punch you would expect from a major book. However, the world and environment were brilliant. It's amazing to think that nothing like this was out there before. You read it for the atmosphere, the world, and the creativity more than anything else. I know a lot will stick with me - (spoilers: 3janes room, Molly, the Flatline, etc).

I appreciate the groundbreaking concepts that led to so many cultural influences. But there's something about the writing style that makes Gibson hard for me to read. I find myself having to re-read many parts to figure out what is going on, and ultimately it just doesn't feel like the plot makes a lot of sense (won't go into details to avoid spoilers). Also, the characters don't feel fully fleshed out or memorable. It was still entertaining, and I give it points for influencing cultural so immensely, but I won't be reading the next in the series.