Themes

Neuromancer envisions the future as a place where humans and machines increasingly interact. Technology invades the human body in the form of grafts, implants, cloning, and carbon sockets which allow machines direct access to the body. Microsofts can be inserted directly into the body like computer disks, making the body in essence a programmable machine.

Conversely, machines become more human as well. Technology provides the option of creating artificial "constructs" that recreate a person's intellect, image, and personality so that the person can "live" even after his/her death. The artificial intelligences created by Marie-France Tessier-Ashpool change and adapt to new conditions and desires just as people do.

Neuromancer"s technology also allows for humans to interact more closely. Simstim, for instance, allows one person to "ride" along with another, experiencing another's thoughts, sensations, and actions. Entertainment like simstim or Peter Riviera's projected hallucinations become the ultimate form...