Idoru (William Gibson)

This complex near-future tale entwines media and celebrity with technology and the Internet in unexpected ways, but it still feels familiar. Much of the story takes place in a post-earthquake Tokyo; the rest in various virtual venues. Gibson, who invented (or at least named) cyberspace, brings it home to a 14-year-old fangirl and a disgraced former data analyst. They are both linked with a rock star beloved by pubescent girls around the world when he announces that he intends to marry an idoru - a synthetic AI with her own career in music. She is not actually a person, but instead is a corporate creation designed to appeal to fans, but somehow she has become much more, and their intention to marry has created a firestorm into which smugglers, Russian mobsters, media moguls, and ex-felon bodyguards have all been drawn. I enjoyed the ride.