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Count Zero

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description Count Zero Overview

*Count Zero* is a 1986 cyberpunk novel by William Gibson, serving as the second book in the Sprawl trilogy following *Neuromancer*. Set in a futuristic corporate dystopia, the narrative follows three separate protagonists: a mercenary, an art dealer, and a teenage hacker known as Count Zero. Their lives intersect through the actions of fragmented artificial intelligences that operate behind corporate firewalls and manifest using imagery from the Haitian Vodou religion. It explores themes of technology, corporate dominance, and cyberspace.

help Count Zero FAQ

Do I need to read Neuromancer before reading Count Zero?

While Count Zero is the second book in William Gibson's Sprawl trilogy, it is not a direct sequel to Neuromancer. The novel follows an entirely new cast of characters, including a mercenary named Turner and a hacker named Bobby Newmark, so you can easily read it as a standalone story.

Who are the main protagonists in Count Zero?

The narrative alternates between three separate protagonists navigating a futuristic corporate dystopia. They are Turner, a mercenary; Marly Krushkova, a disgraced art dealer; and Bobby Newmark, a teenage hacker who goes by the alias Count Zero.

How does Count Zero connect to the Voodoo religion?

The book introduces the concept of Vodou deities existing within the cyberspace matrix. Hackers encounter these entities, which are actually fragmented artificial intelligences from the climax of Neuromancer, manifesting themselves as loas like Legba.

Is Count Zero the second or third book in the Sprawl trilogy?

Published in 1986, Count Zero is the second installment of the Sprawl trilogy. It is followed by the final book in the series, Mona Lisa Overdrive, which was published in 1988.

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