Neuromancer by William Gibson

William Gibson’s classic novel reimagined the sci-fi genre. Optimistic visions of the future with their jetpacks and flying cars were replaced with a darker alternative, helping to popularize the cyberpunk aesthetic and its associations with the ’80s and ultimately the digital aesthetic. Dystopian societies dominated by mega-corporations and drugs served as the backdrop for hacker anti-heroes to resist. In addition to impacting the aesthetics of the 1980s that persist to this day, the book also captured the spirit of the anti-establishment hacker culture, which has been instrumental in forming crypto-art, separate from generative art.