Walking into this book and knowing how influential it was on the larger cyberpunk genre, I was concerned that I would encounter a sort of "opposite Ready Player One" in which it would be filled with references from media that has not existed yet. I was worried that I'd feel like this book was a weaker version of the best part of the Matrix, Cyberpunk 2077, and Bladerunner. And while it was true that I could easily pick out elements that clearly influenced later media, it did not distract me from the instantly captivating story, fantastically written characters, and a breathtakingly atmospheric setting. Gibson's ability to convey both scenery and emotion made me understand why he is easily one of the sci-fi greats.