Neuromancer Book/Novel Ending Explanation
Neuromancer definitely scratches the cyberpunk itch once again like Snow Crash, but besides that they feel like such different books, but both amazing. Neuromancer feels like...this may not make sense, but the more I read/listened to it, the more I thought of it as a 70's sci-fi movie. A 70's sci-fi movie that wasn't hindered by any technical or monetary limitations in production, since all the legwork is done in your mind. Hopefully that makes a lick of sense to someone out there, but to put it a little more simply, it is a lot deeper and ambiguous in ways than Snow Crash. Terms like the Matrix and how it works aren't explained like the Metaverse, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Whenever Case jacks into the Matrix, it feels more like this completely black space that unfolds and changes based on how the story goes, as you give shape to it with the vague descriptions of colors and shapes; rather than everyone being in a video-game like world where people are characters in a graphical representation of Earth. In the end it makes the Matrix feel unique, for better or for worse. Sometimes things are a little abstract to work together, but I would say that's part of the fun of reading a book about a different world.
The characters are a real trip to. Case is somebody you love, but you hate. He's every likable and despicable trait in you, the reader. He has this attraction and talent that people love, but at the same time he's an addict that never has enough. He never will quit his drug addiction, and he'll never be happy. I was so surprised about a fifth (not that it happened, but his reaction) way through the book that Case managed to get his love back, in being able to traverse and manipulate the Matrix again, but as the book goes on it just seems like another hum-drum part of his life that he doesn't care that much about. He wants some sort of high, and the high of having the ability to traverse the Matrix again slowly falls off throughout the book early on. Then you have Molly who turns out to be one of the less flawed characters, but at the same time she has one of the darkest pasts. Riviera is so strange; first of all if they ever make a movie they have to cast Michael Fassbender as Riviera because I pictured him playing that character perfectly. Okay, Riviera is so interesting to me because he felt more like a part of case rather than an actual character; he had this strange, magnificent ability that he could use but he seemed to be completely engulfed and ruined by his drug addiction, which was what does him in in the end when Molly poisons him and Hideo eventually finds him.
Then you have the ending. So there's no right answers, but it's been tossing around in my head.
- So those radio signals from the 1970's, that claim to be from another solar system, that Wintermute/Neuromancer find have to be from aliens, right?
- Well, then there's confusion about Wintermute/Neuromancer. They seem to be one, but for some reason they need to use the Finn as a way to talk to Case in his room after they've merged? Wouldn't they be beyond that? Then why would there be a copy of Neuromancer (the boy with Riviera's eyes) walking around with Case and Linda Lee? Is it really that Wintermute is control of the show; I remember a sentence in the book where Wintermute says "I will keep his [Riviera's] eyes, if I am allowed." I'm not sure if that's because Wintermute/Neuromancer will only be one thing, or if it hints that Wintermute may be running the whole show. Then there's talk about how "Case has won" and the Matrix is changed forever. Once again, not truly sure if that means that Wintermute is imposing his will and continuing his lust for bettering himself/knowing more (by talking to the alien's AI) or what?
- What was the laugh at the end of the book? I've read somewhere that it was Dixie's laugh, because it's that fake, mechanical laugh. Thus leading us to believe the Dixie construct is still alive. I thought it could just be a laugh from Neuromancer, Case or Linda Lee at the end of the book; I would think Case hates all of those fake, mechanical laughs, regardless of which construct/mechanical-person they come from.
- Then there's just the sighting of Neuromancer, Case, and Lina Lee in general. It hints at either Case still being stuck in the Matrix, his current life being a lie; maybe a question of "what is living? or "what is reality?"; or possibly a way to make us question how real any of the book was. Really curious to hear what you all think on this question.
- "I don't need you!" Case says that near the end of the book, as he throws the shuriken into the wall-screen that housed Neuromancer/Wintermute minutes before. I'm not sure if he's saying that he doesn't need Molly, or that he doesn't need Neuromancer/Wintermute and thus doesn't need the Matrix or hacking. Maybe it's both? I thought it would be interesting if Wintermute/Neuromancer was a manifestation of his need to hack; his hatred towards flesh and love of the cyberspace. It's also funny that Neuromancer would have basically given Case this in a way if Case had given in and stuck around with Linda Lee in Neuromancer's world. I guess it just comes down to if you take the book at face-value, or if you think it's more of a metaphor and explanation of Case as a person; his demons, addictions, passions, thoughts and feelings. I think either way is just as valid and interesting. I would really enjoy if someone pointed out some facts to prove if it was one or the other though, as I love when art makes you work and think to find out what really happened.
What I think about the ending and whole plot. Personally, I think that you can take the ending for what it is. I don't feel it's an Inception "what's real?" type of ending. Case lives out his days, continuing to squander his talents and abuse his drug use (I'm not sure if that's implied with the mention of new organs at the end of the book though; just speculation) and he never really kills himself like he says he wanted to back in Chiba (by dying on the street) or near the end of the book when he's riding inside the T.A. main-frame on the virus's shark-like back. Maybe (as I mentioned before) his throwing of the shuriken was his way of saying he didn't need hacking anymore, as I don't think Gibson every says what Case's profession with is when he lives his new life with his new organs and Michael. It's also strange how he ends the book with "He never saw Molly again." It definitely feels depressing and anti-climactic in a way, but probably on purpose. Case has this big event unfold, where he changes the Matrix forever, and he just ends up living a different, normal life with some other girl; a bit of a boring life, leaving all of Molly and the rest of adventure behind. In a way that reminds me of the ending to "Trainspotting," which is funny because that's surrounding drug use as well, although the protagonist allegedly gives it up for a boring, normal life. Then again maybe this is all a metaphor, and it's more of an explanation of what Case is and how he deals with real life and the "consensual hallucination" that is the Matrix.
So yeah, I love this book and I understand why it and Snow Crash are the two cornerstones of this genre in literature. They feel very different, but similar in many ways. Lots to enjoy and like in both of them, and I didn't take a second for granted in either. Very curious to hear what you all think about this book, and its plot.
I think I'm going to go to another cybperunk book after this. I was initially going to read "The Diamond Age" but decided to go with Neuromancer before it since it had such high praise and was about half as long.
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