Spook Country

I just read Spook Country by William Gibson.

He's my favourite author. I couldn't have cared less when Harry Potter came out, but I pre-ordered Spook Country. His are the few books I can get a real appreciation for when reading for the scond (third, fourth...) time. I think this has something to do with the fact that the actual story is secondary to my enjoyment of his books. In fact, I'd be hard-pressed to even explain what the plot of this latest book is, and I just read it. With Gibson, its all about characters and his exceptionally cool writing style.

One of the interesting things about Gibson is how he's identified as science fiction, but his books have been getting closer and closer to the present. His first book, written in 1982, took place in a vague, undefined future, probably about twenty years hence. This newest book is set in February 2006. I like to think that the world is just coming closer to his vision of the future. he just keeps getting more and more relevant. William Gibson's books take place in our time, but a world that's so much cooler than the one you or I live in. A world of art, music and eccentrics. It's my ambition in life to become a Gibson character

As to the book itsel; as the title suggests, it's about espionage. And something called locative art, a kind virtual sculpture tied to a specific GPS coordinate. It also contains the character Hubertus Bigend, head of the PR firm Blue Ant. His appearance in both this and the previous book suggests to me that he creating a loosely tied-together trilogy. But really, you're just gonna have to read it