Week 1: Discuss Neuromancer and Cyberpunk

'''This novel was published in 1984. Gibson is credited with having coined the term "cyberspace." Also, this novel is considered the first “cyberpunk” work of fiction. As with all sci-fi, technology may seem dated to later audiences, but it still lends insight into how the writer sees his world and where it is heading.''' 1. What kind of person is Case? Is he a hero or an anti-hero? Does Gibson want you to side with Case? If so, how does Gibson accomplish this?


 * I feel as of this far, we have no definite answer on whether Case is an hero or an anti-hero. I think he may end up being the anti-hero though. Gibson explains so many different scenes very matter-of-fact. He doesn’t really state whether one or the other is right. It seems like everyone is just trying to. Survive, putting themselves first most of the time. - Melani L.

2. Consider the idea of “place” in the novel. Does it matter that the first location is Chiba City, Japan? Is the foreign location a plot device, or does it say something about how Gibson envisions the future?


 * I think Gibson truly believed in the future of what Japan could do. It very Japan / San Francisco, which makes so much sense for the environment he wants to drop us into. Japan is such a power player in the technology world and very much has a futuristic feel even in our current day. - Melani L.

3. Which “predictions” does Gibson present in the opening chapters? How close are these predictions to our reality?


 * Gibson brings us the matrix in many chapters, which I connect to the internet or World Wide Web. He brings up augments of different characters regularly as well, which we very much have versions of today. - Melani L.

4. Is Neuromancer’s world better off because of technology?


 * I would not say the Neuromancer world is better off than ours, I feel that it is just different. While we are doing lots with technology nowadays, especially in comparison to our past, it’s insane. There are many other things we are failing in though as well. - Melani L.