The Sprawl trilogy is a creation of William Gibson, and consists of the books Neuromancer (1984), Count Zero (1986) and Mona Lisa Overdrive (1988). The first book of the trilogy is considered one of the most important science fiction books ever published, having won both the Hugo and Nebula awards, and having virtually created the cyberpunk genre.
The background of the events in the novels is as follows: After a limited third world war, the structure of society has changed dramatically. Governments are becoming less and less relevant, and corporations are taking their place. Wars have been replaced by industrial espionage, and all battles are fought in cyberspace.
Neuromancer
The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.
When a book begins with this phrase, you're certain that you're in for something special...
The story begins with Case, an ex cyberspace ace, now unable to work, spending his last remaining money searching in vain for a cure to his medical condition, which prevents him for accessing cyberspace. One day Case is approached by Molly, with an offer he can't refuse. In return for the cure he seeks, Case must provide his services to Molly's employer.
Even though the universe in which Neuromancer takes place is completely alien, it is thoroughly convincing. The social-political status, the technical jargon, everything appears natural when reading the book, without seeming strange or out of place.
A friend said this novel is better described as Noir, and he was probably right – apart from the extreme presence of technology, Neuromancer is a book of mystery, filled with antiheroes, hidden agendas, and generous doses of cynicism and cruelty.
A friend said this novel is better described as Noir, and he was probably right – apart from the extreme presence of technology, Neuromancer is a book of mystery, filled with antiheroes, hidden agendas, and generous doses of cynicism and cruelty.
Count Zero
The second book of the trilogy loosely follows the first, without common characters or obvious patterns, apart from the fact that it takes place in the same universe.
The main characters are Bobby, a wannabe cyberspace cowboy, with the nickname Count Zero, Turner, a mercenary specializing in industrial espionage and sabotage, and Marly, a specialist in arts, hired by an A.I. to find a rare artifact.
As the separate stories come together, it is revealed that big things are happening in cyberspace, and the cause-effect relationship with the events of the first book begins to appear.
Mona Lisa Overdrive
The third and final book of the series comes to conclude the writer's vision on how technology could have evolved (or still can) in the future. The novel is in the form of parallel stories, just like the previous one.
We follow the story of Kumiko, daughter of a senior Yakuza member, whom her father sent to London to protect from his rivals, of Slick, an ex convict who spends all his time in an abandoned factory creating art in the form of giant machines, of Angie Mitchell, a big-time movie star with a great secret, who is doing through detox, and of Mona, a hooker whose boyfriend and resemblance to Angie get her into big trouble.
Just like in Count Zero, the stories converge near the book's end, also bringing together characters and storylines from the previous books.
Neuromancer 8/10
Count Zero 6/10
Mona Lisa Overdrive 7/10
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