M
Marc Elsberg
Zero
Synopsis
Anyone who moves through the net can't escape it: they know who we are, where we are, and what we'll do next. When a boy is shot during a police chase, journalist Cynthia Bonsant is pulled into investigating Freemee, a wildly popular platform that collects and analyzes users' personal data — promising a better, more successful life in return.
The only person publicly warning against Freemee, and the outsized power it could hand a handful of people, is Zero: the world's most wanted online activist. As Cynthia digs deeper into the platform and the people behind it, she becomes a target herself.
In a world of cameras, data glasses, and smartphones, there's no such thing as staying hidden. Marc Elsberg's near-future techno-thriller examines surveillance, data, and the price of a "better" life mediated by algorithms.
Genres
Characters
Cynthia BonsantProtagonist
A journalist who investigates the data platform Freemee and becomes a target herself.
ZeroSupporting
An anonymous online activist who publicly warns against Freemee's growing power.
Frequently asked questions
Is this book part of a series or a standalone story?
This novel is a standalone work and does not require reading any other books to understand the plot or character arcs.
Has this book been adapted for the screen?
A television film adaptation of the novel was produced and aired on the German channel ARD in 2021, featuring actors such as Heike Makatsch and Sabin Tambrea.
Did this book receive any notable recognition?
The novel was honored as the Scientific Book of the Year in Germany in the entertainment category, a distinction it shares with the author's other work, Blackout.