I chose to set a large portion of Zero-Day Ghost in Hong Kong because the city is so wonderful and unique. It’s a dense metropolis burdened with but also encircled and bejeweled by an immense quantity of parklands and mountains. These green spaces create contrast and beauty everywhere you look but also force residents to exist in the small habitable spaces squeezed between the natural ones.
It’s a water city, bordered by and constantly interacting with the harbors and shoreline that generated so much of its value and interest over the centuries.
Hong Kong’s unusual and sometimes tragic colonial history has also given it an incredible concentration of ethnicities, languages, and cultural influences, making it a powerful setting for storytelling.
And it’s a bustling city, filled with commerce, delicious foods, and unique goods that create endless interest and opportunities.
I love Hong Kong and hope that Zero-Day Ghost does it justice. The city itself is ever interesting and often in my thoughts. I will return there someday soon.