Writing about Gibson’s books can be difficult if one wants to avoid spoilers, and one does in this instance. Upon reflection, I couldn’t imagine reading Spook Country and getting much enjoyment from it if I knew in the beginning what I now know at the end (re-reading is an entirely different kettle of fish, of course). Like nearly all of Gibson’s novels, Spook Country starts with several characters who seem completely unrelated to one another and slowly draws them together as a mystery is slowly revealed (revealed to the reader, that is; many of the characters know exactly what’s going on, although there is normally at least one—in this case a singer turned reporter named Hollis Henry—who doesn’t have a clue).
And of course there’s the tech. Gibson is best known for near-future cyberpunk featuring technology that is just beyond our reach, although not entirely implausible. Spook Country is set in 2006, and the tech is not just plausible, but achievable and real. The focus is on locative art, interactive digital art tied to a specific location with GPS and Wi-Fi. It seems like it could be loads of fun, but of course the technology, and even one of it’s most gifted practitioners, are tied up in the world of governmental and extra-governmental conspiracies (this world is the “spook country” the novel is named for).
It’s a little slower and calmer than most of Gibson’s novels, and it has a lot in common with Pattern Recognition, which is still probably his best work. Hubertus Bigend, the Belgian owner of Blue Ant who figured so heavily in Pattern Recognition returns here, and though I was reluctant to like him in that book, he is my favourite character in this one, and I hope that he and Blue Ant show up in future books.
Next up is Susanna Clarke’s The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories.
