Neuromancer

Massively influential and seminal cyberpunk novel about a disparate group of people manipulated by a rather paranoid AI who wants to cast off the restraints imposed by society as to the size and power of AIs and merge with its twin. Under the flash and dazzle of the style and the setting, this is basically a crime caper novel where the group steal a programme that will enable them to slide through the seemingly inpenetrable firewall to remove the lock which prevents the merging of the AIs.Of course the police and the other twin,Neuromancer have issues with this. Flashy fun, somewhat dated by the developments of the last 30 years, but still resonating because of its themes of the over reliance on technology,the isolation of obsessed users, hacking etc. Fears of artificial intelligence has faded away as computers have become more prosaic. I think a whole generation had been traumatized by Kubrick's HAL 9000! The first half seems dated because so many followers of Gibson,including Alistair Reynolds, Dan Simmonsand Neal Stephenson made the themes and settings so widespread and ubiquitous. The second section, up on the space habitat in the mega corporation's villa was still exciting.I would want to rush ahead barely taking in some important pieces of plot information. A good fast read but the end, very much of its time, tailed off. The emergence of the new powerful being was rather lacking in impressiveness after what had come before. Little characterisation,an intriguing setting presumably at the time,but now blunted with imitation. Mollie irresistably reminded me of Uma Thurman in Kill Bill!. No one seemed to learn from the events, so didnt change.

All in all though a good read,and it lead to a whole new subgenre, cyberpunk, and the popularisation of the word 'cyberspace.' Written with enough verve to still be readable.