Arguably, Gibson's novel Neuromancer became a best seller not because it allows a glimpse of the future but because it provides a glimpse of the present. Technology and how that technology affects lives has been central to human concerns since the use of the first tool. Neuromancer explores the increasing interaction between humans and machines and its possible consequences for political and economic power, the environment, popular culture, and the quality of life in general.

The pace of change has increased with each passing decade as humans struggle to determine the priorities in their lives and how the future relates to the past.