William Gibson's Spook Country

By Mary Foster, Associated Press Writer, via Yahoo! News:

"Spook Country", by William Gibson: Hollis Henry, investigative reporter and former rock singer, has a fascinating assignment. She's in Hollywood checking out a new art form — a virtual art that can recreate the death scenes of the famous or fill a hotel room with knee-high poppies.

Hollis is apparently doing the story for a start-up magazine called "Node." The problem is no one has ever heard of the new publication, which is contrary to the buzz most new magazines generate. And she's warned about its superrich owner Hubertus Bigend.

"Locative art," as it's called, is a change, Henry is told. Instead of experiencing virtual reality through a screen, locative art can take place in the world around us.

While she's checking out virtual death scenes, Bigend directs her to get in to see Bobby Chombo, a reclusive, disturbed computer genius who sets up the network needed to support the locative art. Bigend tells her that Chombo may be doing more than installing art works.

Bobby sees everything in terms of GPS grids. He has even divided his living space with a grid, a series of squares so he can sleep in a new one each night. Besides setting up the virtual art displays, Bobby designs military navigation systems.

"The most interesting applications turn up on the battlefield, or in a gallery," he says.

He may be tracking a mysterious ship, a modern-day Flying Dutchman, that doesn't put into port anywhere. If so, Bigend wants to know and he wants to know what's on the ship and where it will finally dock.

The intricately plotted novel is told from three viewpoints.

Besides Hollis, there is Cuban-Chinese Tito, who with his family specialize in delivery of information and misinformation. Then there's Milgrim. Hooked on prescription anti-anxiety drugs, he is being held prisoner by a man who may, or may not be connected to a government agency. And there is an old man who eventually connects all the elements, including the mysterious ship and its cargo.

As fresh and clever as the innovative locative art that opens the book, Gibson keeps the plot twisting, weaving dark and dangerous elements in a series of fascinating scenes.

Whether he's taking you inside the surprisingly lucid mind of Milgrim or into the semi-mystical world of Tito, where superb training mixes with the guidance of ancient gods, Gibson holds readers spellbound.