Not only for the foundation it laid for much of the scifi that followed, but also for the aesthetics of Gibson’s prose, which is alternately turgid (but in an effective way) and pointedly simple. Gibson is great because, at least in this novel, he avoids the common pitfall of vapid characters floating in lush and detailed environs. On top of the literary merits of the book, it is so entwined culturally with our modern technological era that it could be read as a reference work as well as a story.

A highly suggested read.