Reviews and Comments

What are "trends", what fascinates us about them, what do we seek when we're riding a trend wave? How do we construct and what associations do we afford in our appearance, what does it signal to our peers, to those above and below us, to faceless networks?

It's the final part of the Blue Ant trilogy, again revolving around the unearthing of secret, ultra-niche trends, their microcosms and the meta-potential they hold for people like Hubertus Bigend who are keen in taming them. From the single POV of Patern Recognition to the triple intertwined stories of Spook Country, Zero History balances out with two entangled protagonists, with Hubertus Bigend as the producer/puppeteer behind it all.

A few recurring characters from the Blue Ant saga, some more central than others, it felt nice recalling their background stories when their names are revealed. Their backstories not necessary to follow Zero History's arc, but adding more texture to it. Hubertus Bigend at his most involved and most vulnerable. Always at the forefront of feeling the aura of pre-emerging, sub-underground trends. He starts skidding on his schemes, on the cusp of losing control, with staggering potential looming on the other side. As with Pattern Recognition, garments play a crucial role. Both in the progress of the main story as well as the description of characters. Vivid depictions of clothes, looks, building interiors. Lucid delineations of personalities, feelings, circumstances.

Once again William Gibson gives more by telling less, by assuming as given, by leading ahead without hand-holding while I was left to fill the pieces. Gibson's writing is an acquired taste, characters talk naturally, dropping hints between the words, content with knowing his readers don't need spoonfeeding. Things happen and it was up to me to be there, in the moment, to feel and see what they were.