A review by optionalobjectives
Spook Country by William Gibson

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I guess that I'm reading Gibson's Blue Ant books in backwards order, about a decade apart. I read Zero History years ago and enjoyed it's (then) near-future, paranoid style. That's here in Spook Country too, with much of the same cast. But reading it in 2022 is more of an exercise in seeing how the then-near-future seemed in the mid aughts. It's an intriguing blend of post-cold-war espionage, hidden world corporate weirdness, and pop culture. Something that doesn't quite hold up is the main protagonist, Hollis Henry. She's formerly a member of a somewhat popular rock band that broke up. Gibson can't go a moment without mentioning that, but it's not a very interesting character trait. It's just one that keys into the plot and provides some motivation for a slight veneer of cynicism. It's a good thing that perspectives are split between her, Tito, and Milgrim, two more interesting and mysterious characters. It's still a fun, zippy ride laced with detail and a splash of tech-y stuff, which is to say that it's a Gibson novel. You know what you're in for.