Before I get into the actual book review, I want to discuss the possible movie adaptation. I love to read books that are based on movies. I truly enjoy reading the book before the movie comes out. that way I can judge the movie based on the book. I also like to judge the casting of the movie with the characters that have been described in the book. The movie for Neuromancer (written in 1984) is a relatively new project that is started to gain some steam. There has been talk about bringing in Mark Wahlberg and Liam Neeson as lead actors. While I think Liam would be a decent choice (although not my first), I can’t see Mark Wahlberg in this role. The main character of Henry Case is that of a burn-out cyber-hacker. Not someone who works out a lot or really even takes care of his body. In fact, his sub-culture of hackers feels like anything having to do with “meat” is almost beneath them. They would rather be jacked-in to cyberspace then spend time in the “real world”. But obviously, staying true to the spirit of the novel doesn’t always make Hollywood money, so they do with what attracts the largest audience. But, if I were to cast a movie of Neuromancer, here would be my choices:
Case: Ed Norton would be my first choice. The character needs to be scrawny-ish and have decent looks, but certainly not a handsome man. Christian Bale and Guy Pearce would be decent as well. If you really wanted someone younger, then Joseph Gordon-Levitt would be really good (he’s quickly becoming one of my favorite actors).
Molly: This is the most important character of the entire story (I think) and the hardest casting. I imagined her exotic, hot, lithe, very thin and fit. Kind of like Aeon Flux (which in retrospect seems to be a rip off of this character). My first choice was Lucy Liu, but then I think she might be too old for the part. Being in her 30’s is fine, 40’s…a stretch. So my second choice was Zoe Saldana. I never saw Columbiana, but I think she has the look and would make a great Molly Millions. Mila Jovovich could work as well (although at this point, that might be just type-casting).
Armitage: For this person, I imagined a bigger guy, almost body-guard big. Someone who was fairly intimidating looking. Definitely not young, beaten down but strong. I figured Mickey Rourke personifies this part. Neeson is being initially cast for this part and while I think he’d be good, he doesn’t fit the size or style/look that I have imagined.
Peter Riviera: This guy is a charmer. But evil and it shows. Just standing near him, you feel it. I imagine this guy to be popular but very creepy. He’s someone w/ boyish looks, very well put together (very metrosexual). I imagined either Jude Law or Cillian Murphy (Scarecrow in the Batman series) as Peter.
3Jane: I actually pictured Violet from the Incredibles. But obviously you can’t cast a cartoon. Anyway, I figured it’d be someone British because that’s what I associate w/ corporate Royalty in the future. Maybe Emma Watson could do it. Also Natalie Portman (who I realize isn’t British) would work as well. Both could play bored, snobby, rich heiresses.
The Finn: I actually imagined Pat Morita as the Finn but maybe Steve Buschemi as well. Definitely older, smaller in stature. Not a physical person.
Dixie Flatline: I imagined Bill Nighy as Dixie. I thought he was really good Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and figured he’d make a great construct. Some people saw Pacino in this part and he’d be good too.
This book was not an easy read. It was almost like reading someone describing an acid trip at times. I kept telling myself that this was written in the early eighties and that some of the terminology he uses now means something different today. It is the book that coined the term “cyberspace” and while reading this, you can see how much the Matrix built their backdrop with this story. I had heard so many good things about this novel that I ended up finishing it the first time, then doubling back and re-reading it immediately. So after reading the book twice, I loved it. It’s such a fantastic piece of literature with the characters and visionary style of writing. I loved Molly’s character and wish there was a whole series just about her. This book is first in the Sprawl Trilogy. The Sprawl is the term for the area now loosely covering most of the US eastern seaboard. Neuromancer is about a hacker who is unable to hack because his abilities were taken away when a previous employer learned he had ripped them off. This hacker, Case, is recruited by some unknown group of people to hack an AI. Case is given back his abilities to enter Cyberspace on a short term lease. If he is successful he can have his abilities back full-time, if not, either the AI will most likely kill him or the poison that was surgically implanted (by his current employees) in his body will kill him. He is on a tight deadline to figure out to beat the AI and also how to figure out who his employers are and what their final objective is. Protecting and assisting him is a female assassin who has genetically enhanced speed, instincts and reactions and retractable razor blades from her fingertips. She also has surgically sutured mirrored lenses (permanent sunglasses) to enhance vision. She is cold and calculating but has a soft spot for the main character. You end up wanting to protect her and also wanting her protecting you at the same time. Each reading was almost like peeling an onion. During the first read, I was concentrating so much on the imagery and trying to comprehend what was being described that I got lost on what the plot objectives were. After I finished the first reading and had an ok idea of what was going on, I was able to really follow the story and understand the relationships between each character. Since I already had a good idea of what was being described I was able to focus on what was going on and what everything meant. If this does become a movie, I would be very interested to see how it will be adapted. It is a difficult and complex story, one that I still think about even after reading. I always enjoy the books that stick with me for a while.
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what kind of name is poon, anyway? 
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