Events

 Since his 1984 debut novel Neuromancer, in which he coined the term “cyberspace” and envisioned the Internet before it was a pervasive reality, William Gibson has gained a reputation as a trend-spotter with a unique ability to anticipate cultural and technological movements. In his two most recent novels, Pattern Recognition and Spook Country, Gibson trained those sensibilities on our contemporary, post-9/11 age. And the present, it seems, is only growing more astonishing in Gibson’s latest novel, Zero History. It’s a time defined by frenzied change, a world in which everything is growing faster and more connected at an exponential rate. If we were in Gibson’s 1996 novel Idoru, we might call it a “nodal point” – a key point in history after which everything will be different.   Zero History returns to the adventures of Hubertus Bigend, the twisted financial genius from Pattern Recognition and Spook Country. Bigend’s newest obsession is with the military culture that is trickling down to the streets. Military contracting is recession-proof, and Bigend wants in. But it seems that someone is one step ahead of him, and Bigend must uncover who that is if he’s to come out on top. His plan involves Hollis Henry, former rocker from the cult 90s band The Curfew, and Milgrim, a Russian translator, finally sober after a stint in rehab. It’s not long before Hollis and Milgrim find themselves entangled in a mesh of postmodern marketing and corrupt American military contracting that threatens to topple Bigend’s massive empire.   Gibson’s talent has always been his ability to spot our cultural trajectory – to locate what Bigend calls “the edge”. It’s that barest glimpse of the future at the far reach of the horizon, the cutting-edge that will soon become the norm. In Zero History, the edge is a place where boundaries between on- and offline have become blurred, where the parent-child relationship has migrated to twitter, and where brands generate attention not by marketing themselves but by eschewing marketing altogether.   Preferred seating with the purchase of Zero History at The Booksmith. Zero History is on-sale beginning September 7; you may pre-order now and receive a preferred seating card. Seating cards will be distributed at the time of purchase until supply is gone. Standing room and limited floor seating will be available as well. Please note that we’ll be at maximum capacity this evening; if you need special accommodations, please send a request to events@booksmith.com.    Please note that Mr. Gibson will sign copies of his previous books provided that a copy of Zero History is purchased from The Booksmith. Photographs of those attending with Mr. Gibson will be possible.