Count Zero
Count Zero by William Gibsonby William Gibson
Shares rank 80 of 179 science fiction novels by recommenders
People recommend it for vivid cyberpunk scenes and strong openings, and some think it is better than its reputation. Critics say parts are dull, with long descriptions.
People recommend it for vivid cyberpunk scenes and strong openings, and some think it is better than its reputation. Critics say parts are dull, with long descriptions.
9 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 6
- criticize it
- 3
- approval share
- 67%
Recommended in 5 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 6 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 2 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 5 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Vivid cyberpunk scenes and openings
“My favorite part of Gibson's Count Zero was always the hydroponic gardens covering an entire floor of a New Jersey housing complex.”
Comment from 25 Jul 2026 in “NYC Apartment Aquaponics” “But I actually like the openings of Count Zero and Virtual Light more”
Comment from 7 Sep 2026 in “Every novel is boring until it isn't” “a fantastic scene from the classic cyberpunk novel Count Zero”
Comment from 15 Jan 2026 in “Project SkyWatch (a.k.a. Wescam at Home)”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Dull or bland in parts
“Count Zero was least interesting though so at least it wraps up on a fairly high note”
Comment from 29 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?” “got bored mid way with Gibson's endless descriptions of non things”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?” “the stories were more bland and weird”
Comment from 11 Mar 2026 in “New HyperCard discovery: Neuromancer / Count Zero / Mona Lisa Overdrive”
Other science fiction novels people recommend
The four most recommended other science fiction novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Hail Maryby Andy Weir | 117 | 24 | 83% | 12 | — | Approved |
| There Is No Antimemetics Divisionby qntm | 98 | 34 | 74% | 9 | 1.5 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| Blindsightby Peter Watts | 96 | 27 | 78% | 12 | — | Approved |
| Duneby Frank Herbert | 82 | 25 | 77% | 12 | — | Approved |
| Count Zeroby William GibsonThis page | 6 | 3 | 67% | 5 | — | — |
What people said
9 of the 10 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“got bored mid way with Gibson's endless descriptions of non things”
“i think it's pretty close to what we have today”
“Count Zero was least interesting though so at least it wraps up on a fairly high note”
“Count Zero, which I think is much better than its reputation”
“But I actually like the openings of Count Zero and Virtual Light more”
“My favorite part of Gibson's Count Zero was always the hydroponic gardens covering an entire floor of a New Jersey housing complex.”
“I suppose Neuromancer/Count Zero/Mona Lisa Overdrive are a good start.”
“the stories were more bland and weird”
“a fantastic scene from the classic cyberpunk novel Count Zero”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.