Agency

Thanks

Early readers of various stages of the manuscript included Diane Ademu-John, Sean Crawford, James Gleick, V. Harnell, Louis Lapprend, Felicia Martinez, Paul McCauley, Jack Womack, and Meredith Yayanos, all of whom provided crucial assistance and support, of wonderfully varied sorts. I’m very fortunate, and grateful, to know you all.

Eliot Peper very kindly responded to a last-minute request for some very particular San Francisco microgeography.

My wife, Deborah, of course, earliest and most regular of early readers, once again endured seemingly endless iterations of the first hundred pages or so, which is A Thing That Happens, in this case more so than usually.

Susan Allison, editor of the majority of my US editions since Neuromancer, was my editor when I signed the contract for the book which became this one, but had retired by the time this one was finally turned in, her editorial duties having been taken over by Jessica Wade, who then herself did a terrific job.

Ivan Held, my publisher, was supportive and patient through an unusually long wait, and I am very grateful to him, as ever.

—July 9, 2019