In Count Zero, Gibson threads the lives of Newmark, a corporate mercenary named Turner (who has had so much physical reconstruction he is hardly human), and disgraced art dealer Marly Krushkhova (who is very human) into a convoluted, fast-paced plot. These three characters seek the same goal: Christopher Mitchell, the genius who created the biochip that is responsible for making the virtual world what it is. Mitchell wants to defect from one company to another, and in the time of this novel, it is like leaving a dictatorship.

Though I often find hard science to be a bit too techy for my tastes, I was fascinated not only by Gibson’s science but his writing style that created such fascinating characters. Unlike most novels that may weave two story lines throughout the book, Gibson’s three points of view actually helped flesh out the story instead of complicating it.

In addition, I loved the feel of this book. Printed on soft paper like newsprint with a softer than normal cover, it opens easily and fits comfortably in the hand. I found this so incongruous in a book with this high-tech subject matter that could have been printed on slick paper with a glossy cover. Yet, its very feel made me eager to return to the story, where Gibson’s words continued to capture me every time I opened the book.

Count Zero is a reissue of Gibson’s Sprawl series, first printed in the mid-1980s.