AB brought home Steve-O's copy of Gibson's Neuromancer for me to read, something Steve has failed to do for many moons now. I shall be starting it as soon as I finish reading this third Shadowrun novel.
I've been watching a lot of movies lately, especially anything vaguely cyberpunkish (Johnny Mnemonic and Ghost in the Shell to those latest Swedish movies about the computer hacker girl...two down, one to go). All for inspiration, of course. But why the films are good for the feel of an RPG (cinematic action), the literature is important for the foundation and story ideas. Neuromancer is, of course, the cornerstone of cyberpunk, so I'm glad I've finally got a copy in my possession.
Have a good week, folks.
I think you will find Neuromancer reads a lot like Shadowrun, but without elves and magic.
ReplyDeleteAnd to listen to while you're reading, get Warren Zevon's "Transverse City". It's his cyberpunk album.
ReplyDeleteMost brilliant cyberpunk novel. A seminal work. You will like it.
ReplyDeleteJust finished reading Neuromancer. More a case that ShadowRun and Cyberpunk 2.0.20. - the seminal Cyberpunk RPGs, read like Neuromancer, since the novel was a prime source for the genre. So much of the genre has been subsumed into the mainstream that you find it very familiar.
ReplyDeleteNeuromancer is actually a lot closer in tone to the hardboiled crime novels of the 40s and 50s than the games that it inspired. A lot less action-packed, but a better novel for it.
ReplyDeleteThat is the book that I've read more than any other in my life...seriously! I've read it at least ten times. I've gotten something new out of it every time. Needless to say, I love it!
ReplyDelete"The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel."
As everyone has said its a great book. If your interested in cyberpunk I've started posting a series of posts on my blog in an attempt to fill what I feel is a under filled niche in the OSR. You can check it out here:
ReplyDeletehttp://zombiecowboy.type-100.com/
Good reading and let me know what you think.
@ Everyone: Yeah, it's already deeply enthralling...I "browsed" the first couple pages last night and ended up reading till well after midnight (to my chagrin). I'll be carrying this one on the bus later in the week.
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