NEUROMANCER IMPLIES DEUS EX

N E U R O M A N C E R   I M P L I E S   D E U S   E X

Can we talk about how the creators of Deus Ex (Eidos Interactive, 2000) totally read Neuromancer (William Gibson, 1984) and loved it? And how it absolutely inspired about 75% of the backstory and world design for the story of Deus Ex? This post isn’t even going to be a cohesive argument, I’m just going to list two of my biggest observations about the similarities between the two works.

Body Augmentation

The ability to augment one’s own body for purposes that do not seem essential or lifesaving is a key element in Neuromancer. Granted, there are bartenders who have robotic arms because their arms got removed in an accident. The book showcases a world where working prosthetics have become a staple of healthcare. However, for every case like this, there is another example in the book of someone who has augmented their body in order to become something more than a human. Molly Millions, Case’s “handler” in the book, has retractable blades that come out from underneath her fingernails and are razor sharp. Her eyes have received implants to let her see in the dark, and “cowboys” like Case can dive into her brain to experience what she’s experiencing. Plastic surgery seems to be a given for most people, even those who are not well-off, and most young people have chips in their brains that let them access cyberspace. The posthumanist undertones of the book are palpable, sending home a clear message that with technology, people can be whatever they want to be.

This is also the main focus of Deus Ex, a game whose world includes secret agents and operatives who have willingly removed their limbs in order to replace their body parts with “Augs,” a slang term for augmentations. These Augs may be weaponized arm cannons, eye implants, or just stronger robotic limbs. JC Denton, who you play as throughout the course of the game, is a secret agent coming onto the force right around the end of this new wave of augmentation. The new thing is nanotechnology – the ability to become a superhuman and still retain your human body parts, as long as trillions of nanites are flowing through your blood. Perhaps the idea of robotic prosthetics is a staple of futuristic fiction, (Luke’s working hand in the original Star Wars trilogy comes to mind) and most world designers have a hopeful dream about a future where losing a part of yourself doesn’t have to be permanent, detrimental, or even negative.

Chiba and China

The beginning of Neuromancer takes us on a journey through Chiba, Japan – a seedy underbelly of a town filled with weird arcades, dive bars, and futuristic clinics. The book’s protagonist, Case, has come to this town in search of a way to repair his body’s damage neurological system. Apparently, the Japanese know the most about these kinds of surgeries. While Case is there he deals with gun smugglers, angry employers, and strange cultural phenomenon like coffin hotels. These are inspired by real hotels in Asian countries where occupants only get a small box-like compartment built into the wall to stay in. These “coffins” are just large enough to sleep in and are barely large enough to sit upright in. Case makes his home in one of these until he leaves Chiba.

In almost every single Deus Ex title since the original game, there has been a level that has taken place in the seedy streets of some Asian country. Deus Ex, which is set in a similar near-future Earth setting, took the player to Hong Kong in 2052, where a company tied to the Illuminati was developing a real working lightsaber. We return to China in Deus Ex: Human Revolution to sneak inside of Tao Yong Medical, a hospital community built literally on top of the city beneath.

When I make these comparisons, realize that I’m not trying to accuse anyone of merely copying another’s work. I’m trying to gain insight into some beliefs about the future that may be universal – and perhaps the insight to be learned here is that we believe Asian countries may be at the forefront of technology in the near future. Perhaps Americans feel threatened by this. Even more compelling is that both works take the user across the globe, traveling to many distant locations. Just like a new level in Deus Ex is a guarantee of a new country and city, the same is usually true for a new chapter in Neuromancer.  

Conclusion

As I review my post, I realize I probably come off as a crazy person trying too hard to make connections between the two works. I accept the fact that in order to vindicate what I’ve claimed here, you really need to play the games yourself and read the book on your own. There are too many small details within each work to even mention here, and the similarities within the nuances are sometimes as great as the more obvious ones. You will have to take my word for it that I had many “aha” moments when reading this book that instantly made me draw comparisons between the two.