Neuromancer Setting

“The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel” (3) introduces us, as the readers, to one of the first cyberpunk novels. William Gibson describes the Chiba night sky as synonymous with a dead television channel, which is static gray and dappled with streaks of black and white. The color gray often refers to a lack of light and sadness or gloom. Furthermore, the “dead” channel describes death and nothingness. This brief yet meaningful and descriptive sentence not only successfully sets the mood and tone of the book, but also hints at the dreary and helpless situation we soon find the protagonist in. Case, the protagonist, was a cowboy who hacked into computers in order to steal information but is now on the streets, taking part in shady deals and even murder, due to his attempt at stealing from his employers. Like the quote previously mentioned, Case is in a bleak situation and sees his own death as imminent.

Further into the novel, a similar setting is described at the Cheap Hotel. “The elevator smelled of perfume and cigarettes; the sides of the cages were scratched and thumb-smudged...As always, it came to a full stop with a violent jolt, but he was ready for it” (20). The smell of perfume and cigarettes and the condition of the elevator imply that this hotel, where Case is currently staying in, is not exactly one of those nice, elegant hotels. In fact, it is not even considered decent. The “violent jolt”, indicating the ratty condition of the elevator, further suggests that the hotel as a whole is found in a shabby and broken state. Again, Case is placed in an unfortunate situation. It becomes evident that Case is not well off, for he “slept in the cheapest coffins” (6) and was always finding “cheaper places” (20) to sleep in. Based on this, we could conclude that the area he lives in and the setting the novel takes place in is mostly occupied by the lower class, where the presence of gangs, violence, and danger should not be a surprise.