Spook Country

William Gibson has been a highly regarded literary science fiction writer since the publication of his first book - Neuromancer - over 20 years ago. In his ninth book he continues to provide the reader a combination of wonderful prose and inventive plot. Spook Country is set in the present day, rather than some bleak future, but it still involves the dark side of postmodern life and Gibson still incorporates high-tech gadgetry (some real, some imagined) into his story. His well-developed characters include an investigative journalist, a young man from a Cuban/Chinese crime family, a creepy computer programmer and a mysterious man named Brown. Their individual stories gradually intertwine and meet, with unusual consequences. Gibson has received warm reviews for this book, and specifically for his talented writing and his uncanny perception of modern culture and the burgeoning sense of distrust and paranoia in post 9/11 America. Don't worry if you're not a fan of science fiction. This book is so much more than that.