Pattern Recognition

This novel is the first entry in what is commonly referred to as the Blue Ant trilogy, followed by Spook Country and Zero History. While these books share the recurring character Hubertus Bigend and the same industrial espionage agency, they function as independent stories that can be read separately.

The author was approximately 100 pages into the manuscript when the September 11 attacks occurred, which forced him to significantly rewrite the world and character backstories to reflect the shift into a new, post-9/11 reality. This transition serves as a central motif throughout the narrative.