Count Zero is the second installment in William Gibson's so-called "Sprawl Trilogy." In this story we meet Bobby Newmark, AKA Count Zero. Bobby's a small time hustler who dreams of bacoming a big time cyberspace cowboy. The trouble starts for Bobby when a local fence asks him to try out a mysterious piece of hardware that turns out to be a very valuable ICE-breaker that has been stolen. In typical Gibson fashion the original owners of the software want it back and are willing to kill for it. That's just the begining.
Things take a turn when Bobby is nearly killed trying to use the ICE-breaker but is saved by a mysterious force in the web that has the appearence of a girl. The girl is Angela Mitchell, the daughter of a scientist who developed cutting edge bio-technology for a ruthless corporation. Angela's father fitted her brain with a complex web of circuitry that allowed her to access cyberspace without a deck or trodes-- or any physical link-up for that matter. In the web she is very powerful, ranking up there with a group of rogue Artificial Intelligences that have taken the form of cybernetic Voodoo spirits, or Loas. All these factors lead to an intense thrill ride as Bobby, Angela, and Turner, the mercenary hired to get Angela away from the ruthless corporation, try to find a way to stay alive with hit teams dogging their every move.
Personally I really liked this story. It's not the kind of ground breaking material found in Neuromancer, but it is a whole lot of fun to read. Gibson keeps the action at an exciting level and the story shoots along at a lightning pace. He also comes up with some very interesting ideas about what the Artificial Intelligences in cyberspace have been up to since the liberation of Neuromancer in Gibson's first novel. He throws in a couple of laser toting hit-men and a rail gun or two for good measure. As usual the technology in the story is fantastic and totally believable. The AI's manipulation of humans through a religious facade is also clever and very believable. I didn't find myself as interested in the character of Bobby Newmark as much as say, Case from Neuromancer, but I was intrigued by the mercenary Turner and his strange, bushido like dedication to his mission. Angela also has a lot of potential as a character, but I don't think she really gets a chance to shine until the third insallment in the "trilogy." The stars of the novel from my point of view are Turner and the mysterious Loas and their ability to manipulate people in cyberspace-- and Angela at any time. The implications of these AIs controlling cyberspace are numerous and a little scary considering the ease with which they control humans.
I would recommend Count Zero to anyone interested in a good suspense thriller, but I think this novel is a must for Neuromancer fans. While I wouldn't go so far as to say that Count Zero surpasses its predecessor, I will say that the story has a number of elements that make it a great read in its own right. I think Gibson was a little more comfortable writing this book than Neuromancer and story-wise I think it flows better because of that. Give it a shot if you haven't read it and see for yourself. You won't be dissapointed.