Get the latest tech news

Reading Neuromancer for the first time in 2025

So many sci-fi movies, anime, and video games owe a massive debt of gratitude to William Gibson's seminal 1984 novel.

I was, of course, familiar with many of Neuromancer ’s themes: Cyberpunk and cyberspace, computer hacking, corporate espionage, cybernetic enhancements, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and near-future worlds populated with leather jacket-wearing murderous street punks. There are moments when the book reads like a greatest-hits collection of cyberpunk influences: The Matrix Trilogy, Ghost in the Shell,Elysium, Ready Player One, Strange Days, Alita: Battle Angel, Altered Carbon, Mr Robot,Black Mirror, Cowboy Bebop, and Cyberpunk2077. On the other hand, some of the book’s omissions (cell phones and the lack thereof) and assumptions (massive space stations with atmosphere, beaches, and nightclubs) highlight just how difficult it is to extrapolate current technological trends accurately into the future, even for a visionary like Gibson.

Get the Android app