Neuromancer

by William Gibson

In Brief

Brilliant but ruined hacker Henry Dorsett Case is recruited by a shadowy agent to perform an almost impossible cyberspace operation. Together with mercenary Molly Millions and an unconventional team of specialists, Case voyages to labyrinthine Villa Straylight, where he will encounter the Artificial Intelligence known as Neuromancer.

Why you should read it

William Gibson invented the term "cyberspace". A decade before the Internet became widespread, Gibson gave the world an extraordinary vision of a cyber future. That vision defined the cyberpunk genre and influenced many artists and writers. Parallels with the later Matrix movies are abundant; indeed "the matrix" is another Gibson invention. For anyone interested in the darker sides of science fiction and modern technology, Neuromancer is an essential piece of cultural history.