Neuromancer (BBC radio play)

Here is the BBC radio play of the novel that started it all, launching the cyberpunk generation, and the first novel to win the holy trinity of science fiction: the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award and the Philip K. Dick Award. With Neuromancer, William Gibson introduced the world to cyberspace--and science fiction has never been the same.
Case was the hottest computer cowboy cruising the information superhighway--jacking his consciousness into cyberspace, soaring through tactile lattices of data and logic, rustling encoded secrets for anyone with the money to buy his skills. Then he double-crossed the wrong people, who caught up with him in a big way--and burned the talent out of his brain, micron by micron. Banished from cyberspace, trapped in the meat of his physical body, Case courted death in the high-tech underworld. Until a shadowy conspiracy offered him a second chance--and a cure--for a price..
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroma...
www.amazon.co.uk/Neuromancer-...

[@MichaelMcGrathangrywasp]

Here is the BBC radio play of the novel that started it all, launching the cyberpunk generation, and the first novel to win the holy trinity of science fiction: the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award and the Philip K. Dick Award. With Neuromancer, William Gibson introduced the world to cyberspace--and science fiction has never been the same. Case was the hottest computer cowboy cruising the information superhighway--jacking his consciousness into cyberspace, soaring through tactile lattices of data and logic, rustling encoded secrets for anyone with the money to buy his skills. Then he double-crossed the wrong people, who caught up with him in a big way--and burned the talent out of his brain, micron by micron. Banished from cyberspace, trapped in the meat of his physical body, Case courted death in the high-tech underworld. Until a shadowy conspiracy offered him a second chance--and a cure--for a price..

[@reverendjimjones1043]

Ah the sprawl, I am home.

[@MukesBoy]

This is the best audio book version I've ever heard this in all the times I've looked. Gibson was a prophet but his reading voice is hard to work with

[@AleksanderNevskij47]

This is an adaptation. This is not Neuromancer 100%.

[@MukesBoy]

@@AleksanderNevskij47 Ive read it multiple times, the first time in 91 and I've got WG's version in audio as well. I'm aware of what this is and it still beats his voice hands down regardless

[@Null257]

I love Gibson's reading of Neuromancer. It's imperfect, but those imperfections lend character. This, on the other hand, strikes me as being oversold. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

[@MrFarnanonical]

seems like Neuromancer actually coined multiple sayings now commonly associated with the internet.

[@bokusworld9780]

It’s called predictive programming. It’s awesome. Simpsons does it a lot…it’s all part of your programming, there are no coincidences. It’s fun! 🦌🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬

[@hanniffydinn6019]

I always forget BBC made brilliant sci fi radio plays......hitch hikers being my favourite....

[@memegazer]

rong...they never did hitch hikers

[@hanniffydinn6019]

Meme Gazer they did you spastic!

[@ohgosh5892]

@@memegazer It was written originally as a BBC Radio 4 radio play. That is how it began, every week on R4 in the evenings. We were avid listeners to one of the funniest things ever written. Later a TV series was made, and then a follow-up series of radio plays too. The TV series was the most expensive the BBC had ever made. It had many of the actors from the original radio play. I have the BBC vinyl records from the original radio series still. Books were later added to the series, before Douglas Adams moved onto Dirk Gently. Many years after that, a film was made.

[@joe-nz4xz]

*Wrong @@memegazer

[@memegazer]

@@joe-nz4xz not rong they did hitch hikers guide to the galaxy yes, but not hitch hikers

[@Jake_Ro_X]

I have read through Neuromancer and it truly is one of the greatest sci-fi literature ever written. I wish there are more BBC radio plays for Neuromancer. I love the atmospheric sound effects and the voice actors. Amazing! ❤️😁👌

[@MichaelMcGrathangrywasp]

Couldn't agree more!

[@thatoneguy3590]

@Colin Glass He said one of the greatest, the ones you named however are also great and at the top

[@OnceTheyNamedMeiWasnt]

@Colin Glass No they aren't. It's a matter of cut glass, Colin.

[@jwinnfield9192]

@@MichaelMcGrathangrywasp Mallory says hi

[@myname-mz3lo]

it is NOT sci-fi it is cyberpunk . the cyberpunk genre came out as a protest against sci-fi . it disagreed with everything sci-fi said .

[@JD.78]

I love this adaptation of Neuromancer, though it has minor differences from the novel it seems more fluent and cohesive. The scripting and voice acting is very good and the cyberpunk soundscape is very immersive in creating a vivid world setting. Good stuff indeed.

[@MichaelMcGrathangrywasp]

Totally agree!

[@morganlowe3353]

I love that they call her Stepping Razor. It's an old song but a goodie 😃

[@bokusworld9780]

There are a few versions of it too. All are superb. Molly is so hot. Oops.

[@cmdrvaneia1498]

I thought a lot of Case's dialogue sounded quite muted/harder to understand in comparison to the bartender and Molly for example, but other than that this is a kick-ass way to experience the story :) Can't wait to see how the movie version does

[@Pasakoye]

I just imagined him short. But he has a big and tall inner monologue.

[@Prizm44]

It's because this upload screwed up the original audio quality. Look around on KZbin, you can find a proper version that doesn't mute Case's voice.

[@alanfalleur6550]

Remarkable writer of dialogue, William Gibson. Molly and The Dixie Flatline are my favorites. All the dialogue is just A+ though.

[@lionelchan1601]

The Rastas. I met Aerol and Malcom well before having met real ones. Helped me get up to speed quite a bit.

[@hanniffydinn6019]

Alan Falleur r

[@24kRobot]

This is a wonderful radio play of one of my absolute favorite books. I reread Neuromancer often and just begin to listen to the audiobook of that. The BBC produced lots of excellent radio plays. Caves of Steel is excellent as well.

[@mexist]

How did this become my go to listen to fall asleep to

[@Comicsluvr]

I haven't read this for many years. I'd forgotten how much it sounded like an old noir detective novel.

[@foolfunk]

thanks for uploading , i love the sound design and the voice acting

[@RighteousBrother]

Right........ couldnt get into the book back in the day. Here goes with the radio play. Thanks for the upload!

[@nicleur6949]

Thank you; a decade ago only half of this program was available. So cool to hear the entire show finally. Cool voice cast too. Love how they worked in western US accents because of the 'Cowboy' references to make it seem literal. The Dixie flatline was the best 😁

[@MichaelMcGrathangrywasp]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Ericthefilo]

Although we are hoping for the neuromancer movie to get out of development hell, at least we've got this excellent radio play!

[@spacebarvideoproductions]

It’s gonna be a show on Apple TV now

[@godofchaoskhorne5043]

@@spacebarvideoproductions Neuromancer is too short for a proper show.

[@Dudderlyful]

I loved this! Having read the book and been astounded by the ideas therein this was a nicely truncated version . Loved it!

[@txmetalhead82xk]

This is fantastic!

[@zenithquasar9623]

This has some great production!!!

[@Larry065]

This was pretty cool. Makes a long drive a lot easier.

[@newtronix]

Absolute classic. Thanks for posting.

[@jamesconnors5653]

Well done, well done. Thank you much.

[@MichaelMcGrathangrywasp]

Thank you too!

[@eisenhertz]

bless the BBC!

[@AlDano]

This is a radio play. Not an audiobook. So, of course it is abridged a lot.

[@warrensteel9954]

Yeah, the audio book is over 5hr long.

[@TylerScranton]

David Holt did an excellent job as Riviera. Really made me hate the character. Thanks for the upload. I just finished the book and I figured I'd listen to this. I understand it had to be edited for content and length, but man I wish that they didn't have to cut so many details.

[@lukehawksbee]

They also really screwed up the delivery of some of the lines, and managed to turn a character who even refers to *himself* as ' *the* Finn ' into an Irish guy called Finn. But on the whole, enjoyable.

[@keithwat6245]

The full audiobook is available

[@xavier5720]

Very cool, thanks for uploading!

[@MichaelMcGrathangrywasp]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@shawnboogher8398]

I want some endorphin analog

[@elandashing1814]

Mike Walker Directed this as well as many of my favs. The Caesar! series , The Woman in Black, The Veldt, Dickens adaptations, and many others. Oh yeah, and Plantagenet (one of my real favs along with Caesar!) Landfall if you want another sci-fi foray from walker. Thanks

[@DarylSolis]

This is amazing 👏 I'm really into this.

[@ArthurGraham-vy1ze]

Glad to know Nikon pulled itself out of its slump.

[@rastiali2311]

Brilliant performance

[@DrymouthCWW]

Thanks uploader!

[@MichaelMcGrathangrywasp]

Our pleasure!

[@CorbCorbin]

Cool Radioplay! Thanks for the upload! I’d love to see a mini-series with the budget some of these Netflix shows are getting. Problem is, studios think they need to update this story, because of all the media it has helped spawn. And Gibson really hated what the studio did to his Johnny Mnemonic script, and the production of the film. But, Neuromancer has a few distinct settings, and characters, that I worry a studio would blend into one character and only two main set pieces, for a film. A series would work better, imo, but it could be done in a two hour movie. Maybe Denis Villanueve wont have Sci-Fi burn out, after Dune, and he’ll complete a trifecta of awesome Science Fiction, with a Neuromancer movie.

[@thorazine666]

I agree.They have plans for a SnowCrash series but it's been up in the air for awhile.

[@shubhampranav]

Denis villanue already has a trifecta of awesome scifi movies arrival, blade runner 2049, dune

[@Fercyful]

Played with C64 and Amiga 500 :) Thanks!

[@goldenmindcavity]

37:05 one of my favorite moments from the book.

[@JCNeupert]

Thank you very much. For those interested in a German adaption, be welcome!

[@absalondebarvac3715]

The guy that voices the rastafarian guy sounds like the guy who voiced another rastafarian guy in the Blade Runner game. I'm guessing he's the same voice actor...

[@ilderogtyde]

That game is brilliant!

[@mikewill2667]

Listening to this while playing cyberpunk.

[@GB-yt9sn]

Listening while 3d printing figures for cyberpunk red 🤓

[@kenny13890]

Cyberpunkk ripoff damn shame they did the game like that

[@kenny13890]

book and audiobook spectacular. Thx friend

[@JPLaurio]

Second episode starts at 58:25.

[@CAPTIANKIPPER]

Broadcast September 2002. It would be helpful if uploaders took the trouble to add a bit of metadata.

[@sugarhieroglyph]

They took out the sex scene between Molly and Case...bogus.

[@owend4894]

Thanks man! This book is a classic, but I’ve never gotten to hear the radio play before.

[@MichaelMcGrathangrywasp]

Thanks for listening

[@rushnerd]

This is really well done. I always wanted to know what this novel was about after reading a bunch of PKD. There is a lot of Electric Sheep here, I love it.

[@theodiggers]

They don't find him in the Sprawl, that's slang for the BAMA. He starts in Chiba

[@WilliamBrinkley45]

When the novel was written, an analog television tuned to a dead channel would display black and white static. Not dark blue or black like a modern TV.

[@vgang3605]

Wow what foresight

[@tripdefect87]

Kinda upset that they got rid of Linda Lee and Juile Dean, but other than that, this Audio Drama is excellent

[@grimnar1976]

I was just thinking about that.

[@Lauri2014]

The Matrix sure ripped off from this...

[@jpkjnn6733]

*everything* ripped this off. That's why it's such a seminal piece of fiction.

[@mathewweeks9069]

Your awesome and like it yay 😎👍

[@phreak761]

They shouldn't have removed Linda Lee from the story it would have made for a better ending, Armitage also seems to have far too much personality which clashes with the way he's described by Case.

[@txmetalhead82xk]

Hoping for a brief appearance from Crazy Edo lol.

[@allancarvalho1981]

Só fckn nice!!!!

[@elgato9534]

Looking forward to the book. Shades of PKD.

[@szedrokonisvrykylos7457]

they've gotta make this into a movie

[@MichaelMcGrathangrywasp]

Szedrokonis Vrykylos and if they don't do it justice, I will find them & I will kill them!!!

[@szedrokonisvrykylos7457]

lolololol

[@PsychoholicSlag83]

Szedrokonis Vrykylos Totally. It's not one of those books tha seem impossible to adapt. I think it's absolutely filmable

[@MrAtlantisman1]

Totally agree. Long overdue!!

[@samuellight4733]

Soon!

[@heyitsablackguy9553]

Am I the only one here who sees similarities to Inception ( 2010 ) and Escape From New York?

[@kousetsuhana]

I'd recognize Andrew Scott's voice anywhere ♥♥♥

[@ArthurGraham-vy1ze]

I liked when Mr Armitage transformed into a dragon at the end of NECs Shadowrun. I took him out with my rocket launcher.

[@macssylvester5011]

This is like real life.

[@eisenhertz]

BBC forever!

[@Musabre]

"Goodbye V. And, never stop fightin'."

[@nejm612]

Classic

[@goatwarrior3570]

These accents are bizarre. They drift between English and Texan. Howdy there pardner, fancy a spot of tea?

[@RiDankulous]

Very nice; some of the newer stuff has very similar plot, setting.

[@jackeilhigh]

So he was a net runner that fucked up lol haha but no really this Story is amazing

[@robashton8606]

This is pretty good considering they had to shoehorn the whole novel into a ninety minute radio play. Some of the BBC radiophonic workshop music is a bit cheesy (this is _the_ cyber-punk classic, after all; some early Ministry or Front 242 would have fit the bill nicely) and John Shrapnel had to voice so many characters that it became obvious, but I enjoyed the production overall. Indeed, it's worth noting that this BBC effort, even with some of the more adult elements omitted and using a truncated version of the plot, was more respectful of the original material and _way_ more successful as a piece of entertainment than Hollywood was able to manage with the execrable Johnny Mnemonic. The only real mistake, to my mind, was the decision to drop Case's junkie girlfriend, Linda, from the story entirely. Given how important she was as a means of manipulating Case during the struggle between Wintermute and Neuromancer, and she was part of one of the pivotal moments in the book, it seemed an odd choice to me. On the whole though, this was an entertaining radio play. If, however, you are new to the work of William Gibson, for god's sake _read the books!_

[@jasonius81]

Thank you for posting this - very cool. I just finished the book, started on Count Zero. Is there a rendition of that? =)

[@GoDamnWeird]

The Sprawl Series are my favorite William Gibson stories. But the first story in the series (prequel if you like) is Johnny Mnemonic from the Burning Chrome short story collection, along with Dogfight which gives an insight into Riviera's holographic tech (he's not in the story). Finn and Moll both are in Johnny Mnemonic. So technically the short story collection is where it begins. Count Zero is no slouch either and his story continues in Mona Lisa Overdrive. Have fun!

[@guyvizard549]

Great for a dark and rainy afternoon or evening. I, too, hope the movie version is made with some real heart. I don't want to see a Ryan Reynolds/Gal Gadot action comedy in a Cyberpunk setting. I want to feel the Sprawl. I want the audience to ask questions so they read the book after seeing it. They'd be crazy to take this beautiful dialogue and narration and turn it into: "You okay?" "Yeah." "We gotta go." "Let's go." (Cue Linkin Park song while they run.)

[@MichaelMcGrathangrywasp]

I hope so too!

[@anuruddhakids]

wow

[@jamesfrankel7827]

I'm looking forward to the ChatGPT 6 version of this phenomenal, amazing version of this novel.

[@fixitman347]

So i wonder if you can get the music that they play at the bar?

[@pattersonparkin5262]

Not bad, but you have to keep on top of it

[@johnqdarwin]

arent you lonely in this world ? nah theres loads like me , nearest is on alpha centurai . head go boom . thats how intestellar travel could happen . via cyberspace . thats how cool this book is .

[@armchairgravy8224]

When was this radio play released? Why is my accursed algorithm only kicking this up now?

[@montreauxs]

Does anyone happen to know the Japanese Song playing in the Chatsubo bar at 4:30 ish?

[@akatosh2795]

Shoukichi - Jing Jing

[@2otufive]

Also secure

[@Mortiis558]

I wonder if this is where Alastair Reynolds got the idea for his “beta” and “alpha” level simulations from?

[@davidnorris166]

No, that would be Aldous Huxley's Brave New World

[@uknowho1756]

Does anyone have a copy of the script?

[@Skybaby79]

Wonderful voice acting [aside from the ninja] but removing Linda Lee was unforgivable.

[@123456nusha12345]

Spoiler alert mannnnn

[@Skybaby79]

@@123456nusha12345 Not really, if you know the story, It's really a warning.

[@guilledcf1547]

cyberpunks not death yo

[@Lincoln_Vail]

I look forward to the AI voiced version

[@BeautifulEarthJa]

Jamaicans be everywhere lol 🇯🇲

[@dhelor]

Man, so much missing from this version. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but... so many missing elements.

[@phreak761]

You can't be too hard on it, it definitely paints the right picture, it's just a shame they removed a lot of the best elements from the book, same with most movies unfortunately they don't always include everything that made the original work so good.

[@yourface07]

Bit rough around the edges but good nonetheless

[@xenoidaltu601]

Is this the whole version? There are some audiobooks that are +8hrs

[@colinedmunds2238]

Xeno Idaltu radio play, not audiobook. This is essentially an abridged version with better sound design/voice acting

[@xenoidaltu601]

@@colinedmunds2238 Does this version include all the content from the book?

[@brycelynch2138]

@@xenoidaltu601 No, it doesn't. It's abridged and somewhat altered. Some characters are gone, some were folded together.

[@akeel_1701]

Aye, that's audiobooks - but doing a radio play is like making a movie - except without any visuals - and I'm sure you know how much you lose when you make a movie of the book

[@kiirothedriver8714]

needs subtitles. audio is sometimes barely audible.

[@bokusworld9780]

Is this mixed in stereo? Guess I’ll have to listen and find out. Julia Roberts’ does the voice of Molly Millions? She’s sick in HOOK, that’s cool. I’m not. 🐣🐣🐣 👊🎤⬇️💥

[@anzerupnik71]

Sound effects are a bit too much. Tgey distract from the content.

[@morenoh149]

12:00 30:55

[@PaulPetersVids]

1:20:00

[@THEparanoidream]

🖤 🧠

[@inigogw]

Is that nana visitor I hear ??

[@mostlynew]

Mark 57:09

[@ArthurGraham-vy1ze]

How did they find a guy who could mimic an American accent, to play the role of Case.

[@joshbates9015]

You're kidding, right? Most British people can do a more or less convincing American accent. Granted, about 70% of those can only do either a New York or southern accent due to them being better aligned with our natural enunciation, but still, this isn't some unicorn skill that would be hard to find. Most of the media we consume comes from the US. We got you down pat, or at least better than the atrocious British accents you guys attempt, which invariably sounds either like a Monty Python character or a cockney gangster.

[@judgedreadsxx1217]

Wait does this have to do with cyberpunk 2077? Or like prior to it?

[@izukurinnvarris7797]

Not connected in the slightest, just the same genre

[@GB-yt9sn]

The game definitely nods a lot to this, even the plot of a body being corrupted by a neuro virus-thing. But this book is one of the main influences that kicked off the genre so of course CP'77 would include references to this classic book

[@aaronkarnov]

CP77 is based on the pen & paper game cyberpunk 2020, which is loosely based on gibson's neuromancer, so yes, indirectly.

[@juleswoodbury58]

Well cyberpunk is cyberpunk but the cdpr game's first mission "the heist" is like 95 percent stolen from neuromancer

[@godofchaoskhorne5043]

Why does armitage sound like a jolly old chubby white dude. When I imagined him looking like that Russian from rocky

[@MeatGuyJ]

Anyone else here waiting for Cyberpunk 2077 to patch?

[@PersonalityMalfunction]

This rendition of Corto was awful. It completely changed the dynamics between Neuromancer and Winter mute.

[@doreilly7689]

Wtf the bbc use to run Neuromancer... yet look at what they did to doctor who today. Yeah... I'll f#cking never forgive you for ruining a show that has been OURS since 1963. Could have taken anything but you f#ckt with the quiet nerds, Let's see how this plays out

[@michaelhatliff6456]

Nicola Walker

[@bernieclark7248]

A quaint production with Dick Van Dyke levels of accent butchery. Solidarity between two countries united in mutual cultural incompetence!