S/R 2

In Neuromancer, by William Gibson, Henry Case struggles with a crippling modification in cyberspace. After stealing from an employer, Case is debilitated and unable to access cyberspace which forces him to resort to petty hustling and the seedy town of Chiba for a cure. Desperate in Japan, Case encounters a hired-gun named Molly who hooks him up with Armitage; Case is easily swayed to work as a hacker for Armitage when he promises to “correct [his] neural damage” (29). Case must complete assigned missions to sustain access to 'jacking-in' or mycotoxin sacs will dissolve and cause the same neural damage he had before. Case and Molly are sent to and successfully acquire the ROM module, or recording, of a cowboy nicknamed 'Dixie Flatline' who is then reincarnated to work with the team. Molly and Case learn the core identity of Armitage, Corto, a former member of the intentionally failed mission referred to as 'Screaming fist.' After teaming up with a new member from Armitage named Riviera, Molly and Case discover that Armitage is “getting his goodies off an AI named Wintermute” (74). Wintermute is the product of Tessier-Ashpool that is incomplete without connecting to another AI named Neuromancer, but WM is designed not to know the code necessary for this merging. Wintermute kills Armitage and once inside Villa Straylight Riviera, who had traveled with her, captures Molly alongside 3Jane. 3Jane tells Molly about her father, she “watched him kill [her] mother” (220) because her creation threatened the Turing Code. Neuromancer tempts Case in an induced state to “Stay. If your woman is a ghost, she doesn't know it. Neither will you” (235). Case breaks free from the illusion and works with Molly, who strangles Lady 3Jane to coerce her to tell them the password. The AI's are successfully united, and Case is relieved of the poison sacs as promised.

The striking components of this novel are the notions of dualism that Gibson blurs to synthesize a future where technology is on the verge of running amok. Nature is often referred to negatively as meat, but some technological advancements like sim-stim are attempts to emulate meat. Synthesizing experiences with technology is disturbing to Case, but I wonder how it differs from his former addiction to drugs—which is a more natural version that renders the same effect. Perception is also brought into question as Case searched for the identity of his employer and when Neuromancer tempts him with Linda Lee. This cyberpunk piece is a criticism of the unchecked progress of technology. Most characters have the integrity to prefer genuine experiences, the exception of the traitor Riviera, as is shown when Pauley would rather die than exist as a duplicate. Marrying themes of betrayal with the downside of progress makes the story eerily identifiable. The victor is technology, however, which seems to conflict with the aims of the characters. Case's motive to persist in cyberspace overwhelms the Turing police, who attempt to derail his mission because it threatens the balance of AI and humanity. It is an interesting choice to allow the merging to occur, because it seems to be detrimental to society. Although the characters are romanticized as heroes, they are really nothing more than puppets for a robot. Gibson is getting at progress which is already occurring and seems inevitable. Humans have already begun to merge with technology, and technology continues to emulate the qualities of humanity.The fallibility of humans makes them easy prey for the work of Artificial Intelligence.