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Drugs and Alcohol
Drug use seems pretty commonplace in the world of Neuromancer. And not just pedestrian substances like alcohol or tobacco, but some pretty heinous, mind-bending stuff. Oddly enough, some of the most evocative, disturbing, and humorous moments in the book come during or after a character doses. But to what end? Why is drug use so prevalent in this world? Is the novel trying to romanticize drug use? Is it trying to point out the dangers of addiction to these dangerous concoctions? We at Shmoop aren't sure, but we will say that Gibson is at least fairly realistic in his portrayal of his drugs. The characters get all Rocket Man before crashing back to Earth with hangovers to match the highs. It is, at the very least, honest.
Armitage didn't get Riviera a new pancreas and liver because the plan was to kill him through his drug intake the whole time (or at the very least as a mission failsafe).
Some characters, such as 3Jane, use people like drugs—as a quick high before promptly discarding them.
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