Count Zero

The follow up to Neuromancer

Strong followup to Neuromancer. Many similarities, but it is not a repackaging of the earlier masterpiece. The incorporation and unique characterization of the Voodoo Loa is stunningly original and inspires admiration, respect, and applause for the imagination and artistry of William Gibson.

A classic of 'Cyberpunk' literature. his writing defined the style; it is terse, short. His descriptions are like a blackjack to the skull. they impact and reverberate making you wonder where it came from.

Gibson is very good at telling the world and exude this feel of solidity in which the world is grounded in. The characters are nicely developed, or rather developing. The diction by some of the characters are delightful to read for their slang. It really gets the imagination rolling. However, the whole book felt like an introduction with hints of a plot but, before you know it, it's done. Same...more

Gibson is very good at telling the world and exude this feel of solidity in which the world is grounded in. The characters are nicely developed, or rather developing. The diction by some of the characters are delightful to read for their slang. It really gets the imagination rolling. However, the whole book felt like an introduction with hints of a plot but, before you know it, it's done. Same thing happened with the Neuromancer. Read Gibson for his farseeing world but not for the plot, or you will be disappointed.   hide

There are times when Count Zero surpasses Neuromancer, and other times where it just doesn't click the. In some ways if feels like a less ambitious book; despite some massive trips undertaken by some of the characters, the story feels far more local, perhaps because it rarely seems to matter where anyone actually is. Neuromancer had a character in Case who constantly remarked and pondered upon...more

There are times when Count Zero surpasses Neuromancer, and other times where it just doesn't click the. In some ways if feels like a less ambitious book; despite some massive trips undertaken by some of the characters, the story feels far more local, perhaps because it rarely seems to matter where anyone actually is. Neuromancer had a character in Case who constantly remarked and pondered upon the places he visited, which allowed the reader to come along on his journey. In Count Zero, we are merely watching the events take place. When I finished the novel, I got the feeling that maybe Gibson was holding back a bit. While it doesn't follow the exact path of Neuromancer, both stories have somewhat similar setups for their finales. This bothered me, as the characters and their conflicts in Count Zero are not the same as in Neuromancer, thus space station visits and final showdowns with AI in the Matrix don't have quite the same impact or suspense. Count Zero easily shines its brightest when dealing with the character of Turner, especially early on. While Neuromancer only alluded to the power of large corporations, Turner shows us exactly what they can do and what can happen because of it. Watching a corporate mercenary do his thing with ruthless efficiency is a stark contrast to the hacker methods of Case, and if the novel had revolved exclusively around this theme, I might have been blown away again. Instead we have nothing more than the middle chapter in a trilogy; it doesn't have much of a purpose but to set the stage for a thrilling conclusion.   hide

Not as good as Neuromancer but still a compelling read..

The most magical and for me best of William Gibson's book.

Not his best work, but pretty enjoyable nonetheless.

A very good follow up to his previous book