Galloway 1 Andrew Galloway English 279 S. Covell 1 May 2006 Neuromancer Essay So Deliciously Cy er!

"un#$ %eading &' %oc#s More (han A )igh' *i'h Molly *illia+ Gi son,s Neuromancer$ 'he -irs' ins'all+en' in (he S.rawl (rilogy$ has een hailed y +any as a .ioneer in 'he cy er!.un# genre o- s'ory 'elling. /sing 'he lis' co+.iled y Sco'' Covell$ 0Science 1ic'ion2 Cy er.un# Mo'i-s and Ele+en's$3 'he cy er!.un# as.ec's o- 'he novel +ay e deduced in order 'o accura'ely de-ine Neuromancer as a 'rue .iece ocy er!.un# ar'. (he 0Essen'ial Ele+en's o- 'he Science 1ic'ion genre3 is 'he -irs' .oin' 'o e covered. Science -ic'ion is very o-'en de.ic'ed in -u'uris'ic landsca.es. Neuromancer -ollows 'his 'rend wi'h 'he 4uin'essen'ial dys'o.ia. (he S.rawl$ 'he +ass o- s.rawling civili5a'ion in Chi a Ci'y$ is .ossi ly a s.ecula'ive vision o- a -u'uris'ic world. &' is however$ an e6'ra.ola'ive loo# a' +odern day 7a.an$ s.eci-ically (o#yo. Since around 'he 'i+e 'ha' Neuromancer was .u lished$ 7a.an has een seen 0as 'he cu''ing edge o- +oderni'y. *hereas 'he res' o- 'he world had loo#ed 'oward 'he /.S. -or innova'ion in 'he .as'$ young A+ericans egan 'o 'hin# o- 7a.an as 'he -u'ure3 89rians:. Also deal' wi'h heavily in 'he real+ oscience -ic'ion is so+e sor' o- .lo' se''ing in ou'er s.ace. &' soon eco+es a..aren' in

Neuromancer 'ha' 'he .ri+ary -ocus o- 'he novel is no' 'o e se' in Chi a Ci'y$ u' ins'ead in 'he co++uni'y o- 1reeside$ 0a clus'er o- ;island; ha i'a'ions in high or i'$ or as Gi son says$ ;u. 'he gravi'y well;3 8)euro+ancer:. Neuromancer is also 'houroughly sa'ura'ed 'hroughou'

Galloway 2 wi'h heigh'ened 'echnology. S.ace 'ravel and inha i'a'ion$ as in 'he case o- 1reeside$ is rou'ine. So!called cha+eleon sui's are worn 'o sea+lessly surroundings$ vir'ually eli+ina'ing visual de'ec'ion. *hen *illia+ Gi son wro'e Neuromancer$ 'he in'erne' had no' een concieved. lend in wi'h 'he user,s

(here-ore$ Neuromancer,s de.ic'ion o- 'he +a'ri6 is a de.ic'ion o- heigh'ened 'echnology. (he +a'ri6 is descri ed in Neuromancer< (he +a'ri6 has i's roo's in .ri+i'ive arcade ga+es$ in early gra.hics .rogra+s and +ili'ary e6.eri+en'a'ion wi'h cranial =ac#s. Cy ers.ace >is? a consensual hallucina'ion e6.erienced daily y illions o- legi'ia+'e o.era'ors$ in every na'ion$ y children eing 'augh' +a'he+a'ical conce.'s@ A gra.hic an#s o- every co+.u'er in 'he

re.resen'a'ion o- da'a a s'raced -ro+ 'he

hu+an sys'e+. /n'hin#a le co+.le6i'y. Aines o- ligh' ranged in 'he nons.ace o- 'he +ind$ clus'ers and cons'ella'ions o- da'a. Ai#e ci'y ligh's$ receding@ 8Gi son B1: *hile a close a..ro6i+a'ion o- an en'i'y ye' 'o e$ Gi son,s +a'ri6 has i's di--erences -ro+ 'he in'erne' o- 'oday. Mos' readily o vious o- 'hese di--erences is 'he 'hree!di+ensional re.resen'a'ion o- da'a and Gi son,s descri.'ion o- 'he 0roo's3 o- 'he +a'ri6. (he igges' .or'rayal o- heigh'ened 'echnology 'hroughou' 'he novel is 'ha' o- ro o'ic i+.lan's in hu+ans. &n Neuromancer$ .er-ec'ion is sough' y all and is ough' in 'he -or+ o+echanical u.grades. Molly$ a +a=or charac'er in 'he novel$ is a -ine e6a+.le o- 'he u'ili5a'ion o- 'hese 'echnological advances. Cer eyes are surgically covered wi'h +irrored lenses oas'ing enhanced o.'ics and use-ul readou's. Cer +e'a olis+$ nervous sys'e+ and re-le6es are considera ly heigh'ened. Also$ she oas's 'en -our!cen'i+e'er dou le edged

Galloway F re'rac'a le lades concealed enea'h her -ingernails. Cy org enhance+en's such as 'hese are co++on.lace in Gi son,s -u'uris'ic world. (he second +a=or -ea'ure o- cy er!.un# is 'he 0+averic# +o'i-.3 (he re el 'he+e is a do+inan' i+age .or'rayed 'hroughou' Neuromancer$ where cy er!cow oys hac# 'he high securi'y da'a sys'e+s o- cor.ora'e en'i'ies a' 'heir leisure. Case$ 'he cen'ral -igure in 'he novel$ is 'he e.i'o+e o- 'he re el. A 'hei- wor#ing 0-or o'her$ weal'hier 'hieves$3 Case is an ou'law$ living o-- o- 'he adrenaline rush o- 'he hies's he .ulls. Ce even s'ole -ro+ 'he 'hieves who e+.loyed hi+< Ce #e.' so+e'hing -or hi+sel-@ Ce s'ill wasn,' sure how he,d een

discovered$ no' 'ha' i' +a''ered now. Ce,d e6.ec'ed 'o die$ 'hen$ u' 'hey only s+iled. D- course he was welco+e$ 'hey 'old hi+$ welco+e 'o 'he +oney. And he was going 'o need i'. 9ecauseEEs'ill s+ilingEE'hey were going 'o +a#e sure he never wor#ed again. (hey da+aged his nervous sys'e+ wi'h a war'i+e %ussian +yco'o6in@ (he da+age was +inu'e$ su 'le$ and u''erly e--ec'ive@ Case -ell in'o 'he .rison ohis own -lesh. 8Gi son 6: (he o s'ruc'ions .laced u.on hi+ y 'he +yco'o6in ensured 'ha' his li-e as a cy er!cow oy was over. Case resor'ed 'o li-e as a +iddle+an$ hardly receiving enough inco+e 'o su..or' his cherished drug addic'ion$ and soon -inds hi+sel- living -ro+ one de6edrine high 'o 'he ne6'. Case,s 0righ' o- .assage$3 'he 4ues' 'ha' ul'i+a'ely resul's in 'he e''er+en' o- his eing$ egins wi'h his e+.loy+en' y )euro+ancer$ originally 'hrough 'he .u..e' guise oAr+i'age$ and con'inues un'il 'he cli+a6 a' 'he S'rayligh' villa. (he +a=or 'urning .oin' -or

Galloway I Case in his =ourney egins when he is lured in'o 'he +a'ri6 y )euro+ancer .osing as

*in'er+u'e. )euro+ancer .laces Case in Case,s ideal drea+$ alone wi'h Ainda Aee$ his .as' girl-riend$ on a each in Morocco. A' 'his 'i+e$ Molly has een ca.'ured in her -ailed +ission 'o re'rieve 'he Aady F7ane. Sic# oeing .owerless -or so long$ oeing cons'an'ly

+ani.ula'ed 'o -i' o'hers, needs$ Case even'ually a andons his .er-ec' world. 9la+ing hi+sel- -or 'he dea'h o- Ainda Aee and ha'ing hi+sel- -or +a#ing such a +ess o- his li-e$ Case re-uses 'o a andon Molly 'he way he a andoned hi+sel-$ and he se's o-- 'o rescue her. (he savior and +essianic cy er!.un# ele+en's are le-' ou' in Neuromancer$ in con'ras' 'o cy er!.un# gian's such as 1ran# Cer er',s Dune and The Matrix$ in which 'he .ro'agonis's -igh' -or 'he -a'es o- +any. &ns'ead$ Neuromancer cen'ers around Case,s s'ruggle -or his own li-e$ and has li''le 'o do wi'h 'he lives o- anyone o'her 'han 'he +ain charac'ers$ +uch li#e "hili. G. Dic#,s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Molly also -i's 'he 0+averic# +o'i-.3 Du'-i''ed wi'h her +any cy org enhance+en's$ she is 'he -e++e -a'ale$ 'he inde.enden' -e+ale +ercenary and .ar' o- wha' #ee.s Case going. D'her o vious indica'ions o- Neuromancer,s elonging in 'he cy er!.un# genre

include< 'he 0e'hos o- 'echnology$3 s.eci-ically 'he considera le a+oun' o- 'echnological advance+en's .or'rayed$ including 'he heavy involve+en' o- ar'i-icial in'elligence$ ro o's$ cy orgs and co+.u'er hac#ingH 'he 0re ellious underground co++uni'ies3 and 0coun'er! cul'ure$3 such as cy er!cow oys and drugees li#e Case and anarchis' organi5a'ions li#e 'he 'echno-e'ishis' "an'her ModernsH 'he su.er!gian' 0cor.ora'e .owers3 such as (essier! Ash.oolH 0endless 'ranscul'ural diversi'y such as 'he +erging o- A+erican and 7a.anese cul'ures$3 a+ong o'hersH .rovoca'ivi'y .resen'ed y charac'ers such as %iviera and Aady

F7ane$ vernacular language ased on cy ers.ace$ and drugs. 8Covell:

Galloway B Neuromancer has hel.ed .ave 'he way -or cy er!.un# classics li#e The Matrix$ Blade Runner$ and Ghost In The Shell. (he in-luences are all around$ and i' is easy 'o see whyH *illia+ Gi son$ in all his ar'is'ic genius$ crea'ed an everlas'ing i+age o- grea'ness 'o e 'he source o- +uch ins.ira'ion. Neuromancer is a 'rue e+ odi+en' o- every'hing cy er!.un#.

Galloway 6 9rians$ "aul. S'udy Guide -or *illia+ Gi son< )euro+ancer 819JI:. 29 Augus'$ 200B. De.ar'+en' o- English$ *ashing'on S'a'e /niversi'y. B May$ 2006 Kh''.s<22www.wsu.edu2L rians2scienceM-ic'ion2neuro+ancer.h'+lN. Covell$ Sco''. Science 1ic'ion2 Cy er.un# Mo'i-s and Ele+en's. Cali-ornia. 2006. Gi son$ *illia+. )euro+ancer. )ew Oor#< 9er#ley "u lishing Grou.$ 2000. )euro+ancer. 27 A.ril$ 2006. *i#i.edia. B May$ 2006 Kh''.<22en.wi#i.edia.org2wi#i2)euro+ancerN.