Author William Gibson has been channeling the future since the 1984 (coincidence?) publishing of his novel "Neuromancer," which gave the world that dubious gift of the term "cyberspace." In his latest novel, "Zero History," a character from previous works (the latest being "Pattern Recognition," about a trend spotter) comes back to take center stage. Hubertus Bigend, an economic genius, grows increasingly interested in the militarization of culture — a growth industry if there ever was one —and employs a motley crew (including a former rock star) to aid his advance. Don't be surprised if fellow audience members begin to look askance at the current fashion obsession with epaulets and brass buttons represented in the room. Gibson, per usual, is onto something. (Photo by Fred Armitage.)

By Reyhan Harmanci