Interestingly, I recall reading once (forget where) that Gibson didn't see his world as that pessimistic. It was no utopia, but it was also not a radioactive po

Interestingly, I recall reading once (forget where) that Gibson didn't see his world as that pessimistic. It was no utopia, but it was also not a radioactive post-WWIII or post-ecological-collapse wasteland. Keep in mind he was writing just after the 70s during the height of the Limits to Growth hysteria and also during the cold war when nuclear armageddon was viewed as a strong possibility. The series also ends on a positive note with what felt to me like a real sense that things could get better.