Opening paragraph is important
This has to be the best opening paragraph to a book I’ve ever read:
“The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.”
Neuromancer, by William Gibson
This is a book I’ve wanted to read for a long time, but have never “been bothered” enough to try, but the eLearning and Digitial Cultures MOOC has given me an extra impetus to make the effort.
I now have the eBook from Amazon, reading through my Kindle App, I’m happy!
Yes, I know I’m 20+ years late to this party, but I’m getting there! The book is the much publicised inspiration to the genre-defining Matrix trilogy of films, and has spawned many science fiction and cyberpunk books and films, which I will also probably not get round to either, but I can try.
I read it a few years back and can’t remember much of it but I found the visual depictions of cyberspace absolutely enthralling. Might have to go and read it again now…
Chris – I think it is an easier read knowing the kind of subsequent work that has been influenced by it, I am sure that had I have read this when it first came out I would have been confused and disorientated and not understood the subtle differences in reality/machine-world.
That being said, I probably would have appreciated both this book and the work that has come after it more had I have read it earlier.
All the best, David