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Zodiac (1988)

 Zodiac (1988)
type
TVTItem
 Zodiac (1988)
label
Zodiac (1988)
 Zodiac (1988)
page
Zodiac1988
 Zodiac (1988)
comment
Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })Zodiac is an eco-thriller written by Neal Stephenson, published in 1988. It tells the story of an environmentalist, Sangamon Taylor, uncovering a conspiracy involving industrialist polluters in Boston Harbor. The title refers to the brand of inflatable motor boats Sangamon uses to travel across the Harbor, shortcutting Boston's frequent traffic gridlock. note the novel was written before the completion of the Big Dig, a major civil engineering project that created cross-city tunnels to help alleviate chronic traffic problems.Sangamon Taylor is known as an Eco-Terrorist by his opponents, and the "Granola James Bond," by the local student papers. He comes across as both, with a dash of Hunter S. Thompson thrown in for good measure. Although he looks down on hippy tree-huggers, he fights against polluters using a variety of legal and illegal methods.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); })Much of the plot concerns Boston's Spectacle Island, which at the time of publication was composed entirely of garbage. In the story, it is frequented by drugged-out and reputedly Satanic groupies of the "two-umlaut" heavy metal music band, Pöyzen Böyzen, who are too intoxicated with angel dust to realize that Sangamon is searching for toxic PCB's dumped on the island, not the drug PCP, which they sell. Hilarity Ensues.Not to be confused with the true crime novel turned film by Robert Graysmith, see Zodiac.
 Zodiac (1988)
fetched
2022-08-12T07:11:43Z
 Zodiac (1988)
parsed
2022-08-12T07:11:43Z
 Zodiac (1988)
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Zodiac (1988) / int_2b80abf4
type
Trivial Title
 Zodiac (1988) / int_2b80abf4
comment
Trivial Title: Zodiac boats are common around Boston Harbor, the setting of the story, but they don't have any special relevance to the overarching plot.
 Zodiac (1988) / int_2b80abf4
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1.0
 Zodiac (1988) / int_2b80abf4
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1.0
 Zodiac (1988)
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Zodiac (1988) / int_2b80abf4
 Zodiac (1988) / int_3d19dd09
type
Punk Punk
 Zodiac (1988) / int_3d19dd09
comment
Punk Punk: Zodiac features many character archetypes, such as an antisocial renegade fighting megacorporations and their evil schemes. In addition, there is a focus on technology and how it affects society such as the genetically engineered bacteria that can clean PCB spills, but also could be used to make PCB as well.
 Zodiac (1988) / int_3d19dd09
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 Zodiac (1988) / int_3d19dd09
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 Zodiac (1988)
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Zodiac (1988) / int_3d19dd09
 Zodiac (1988) / int_53c3fa83
type
Granola Girl
 Zodiac (1988) / int_53c3fa83
comment
Granola Girl: Most of Sangamon's co-workers. Even though they're on his side, he looks down on them.
 Zodiac (1988) / int_53c3fa83
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1.0
 Zodiac (1988) / int_53c3fa83
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1.0
 Zodiac (1988)
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Zodiac (1988) / int_53c3fa83
 Zodiac (1988) / int_56b53152
type
Green Aesop
 Zodiac (1988) / int_56b53152
comment
Green Aesop: Sangaman is a one-man army against corporate polluters. He establishes himself as quite separate from hippy treehuggers and hates pollution purely out of self-interest.
 Zodiac (1988) / int_56b53152
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 Zodiac (1988) / int_56b53152
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 Zodiac (1988)
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Zodiac (1988) / int_56b53152
 Zodiac (1988) / int_57a937f1
type
Heävy Mëtal Ümlaut
 Zodiac (1988) / int_57a937f1
comment
Heävy Mëtal Ümlaut: Pöyzen Böyzen
 Zodiac (1988) / int_57a937f1
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 Zodiac (1988)
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Zodiac (1988) / int_57a937f1
 Zodiac (1988) / int_5f52cfcf
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Intrepid Reporter
 Zodiac (1988) / int_5f52cfcf
comment
Intrepid Reporter: Rebecca.
 Zodiac (1988) / int_5f52cfcf
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 Zodiac (1988) / int_5f52cfcf
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 Zodiac (1988)
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Zodiac (1988) / int_5f52cfcf
 Zodiac (1988) / int_7febc23b
type
Establishing Character Moment
 Zodiac (1988) / int_7febc23b
comment
Establishing Character Moment: On his way to work, Sangamon forces his bicycle into heavy traffic. When a driver yells at him, he unleashes a crushing Cluster F-Bomb.
 Zodiac (1988) / int_7febc23b
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 Zodiac (1988) / int_7febc23b
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 Zodiac (1988)
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Zodiac (1988) / int_7febc23b
 Zodiac (1988) / int_b1fd7687
type
Kingpin in His Gym
 Zodiac (1988) / int_b1fd7687
comment
Kingpin in His Gym: The Big Bad is heavily muscled through weight training, but since that's all he does, he's musclebound and uncoordinated.
 Zodiac (1988) / int_b1fd7687
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1.0
 Zodiac (1988) / int_b1fd7687
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 Zodiac (1988)
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Zodiac (1988) / int_b1fd7687
 Zodiac (1988) / int_be8416ea
type
Shrouded in Myth
 Zodiac (1988) / int_be8416ea
comment
Shrouded in Myth: Boone.
 Zodiac (1988) / int_be8416ea
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 Zodiac (1988) / int_be8416ea
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 Zodiac (1988)
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Zodiac (1988) / int_be8416ea
 Zodiac (1988) / int_beb9a361
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Anti-Hero
 Zodiac (1988) / int_beb9a361
comment
Anti-Hero: Sangaman uses recreational drugs, has a rather caustic personality and operates in a gray area of the law.
 Zodiac (1988) / int_beb9a361
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1.0
 Zodiac (1988) / int_beb9a361
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 Zodiac (1988)
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Zodiac (1988) / int_beb9a361
 Zodiac (1988) / int_c3478f1d
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Badass Bookworm
 Zodiac (1988) / int_c3478f1d
comment
Badass Bookworm: Sangaman isn't in great shape or a trained fighter, but he has a host of useful skills and the balls to use them. He plays chicken with cars on his bicycle ride to work, pokes megacorps in the eye as his job, and kills hired goons with his badass driving skills.
 Zodiac (1988) / int_c3478f1d
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Zodiac (1988) / int_c3478f1d
 Zodiac (1988) / int_cbe687ab
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Corrupt Corporate Executive
 Zodiac (1988) / int_cbe687ab
comment
Corrupt Corporate Executive: Pleshy in particular, most of Basco in general.
 Zodiac (1988) / int_cbe687ab
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 Zodiac (1988) / int_cbe687ab
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 Zodiac (1988)
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Zodiac (1988) / int_cbe687ab
 Zodiac (1988) / int_d0f0a80d
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One-Word Title
 Zodiac (1988) / int_d0f0a80d
comment
One-Word Title: The title refers to the brand of inflatable motor boats Sangamon uses to travel across the Harbor, shortcutting Boston's frequent traffic gridlock.
 Zodiac (1988) / int_d0f0a80d
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1.0
 Zodiac (1988) / int_d0f0a80d
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 Zodiac (1988)
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Zodiac (1988) / int_d0f0a80d
 Zodiac (1988) / int_d7ab4666
type
Skeletons in the Coat Closet
 Zodiac (1988) / int_d7ab4666
comment
Skeletons in the Coat Closet: Sangamon's toxic-waste-spattered tennis shoes are a modern-day equivalent.
 Zodiac (1988) / int_d7ab4666
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1.0
 Zodiac (1988) / int_d7ab4666
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 Zodiac (1988)
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Zodiac (1988) / int_d7ab4666
 Zodiac (1988) / int_df968cf
type
Insurance Fraud
 Zodiac (1988) / int_df968cf
comment
Insurance Fraud: Boone has become an insurance fraud meme — whalers who want to get out of the business sink their own ships and blame it on him to get an insurance payout.
 Zodiac (1988) / int_df968cf
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1.0
 Zodiac (1988) / int_df968cf
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 Zodiac (1988)
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Zodiac (1988) / int_df968cf
 Zodiac (1988) / int_e5308a82
type
Sci-Fi Ghetto
 Zodiac (1988) / int_e5308a82
comment
Sci-Fi Ghetto: Inverted by the author. Stephenson has the book listed as Science Fiction, even though it really doesn't have any speculative elements to it.
 Zodiac (1988) / int_e5308a82
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1.0
 Zodiac (1988) / int_e5308a82
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 Zodiac (1988)
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Zodiac (1988) / int_e5308a82
 Zodiac (1988) / int_eb8ec7c8
type
Jerkass
 Zodiac (1988) / int_eb8ec7c8
comment
Jerkass: Word of God is that Stephenson designed Sangamon to come across as an obnoxious asshole.
 Zodiac (1988) / int_eb8ec7c8
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 Zodiac (1988) / int_eb8ec7c8
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Zodiac (1988) / int_eb8ec7c8
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Zodiac (1988)

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Zodiac (1988)
hasFeature
Computer Equals Monitor / int_3bd9711
 Zodiac (1988)
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Eco-Terrorist / int_3bd9711
 Zodiac (1988)
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Green Aesop / int_3bd9711
 Zodiac (1988)
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Heävy Mëtal Ümlaut / int_3bd9711
 Zodiac (1988)
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Insurance Fraud / int_3bd9711
 Zodiac (1988)
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Nerd Action Hero / int_3bd9711
 Zodiac (1988)
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Ring-Ring-CRUNCH! / int_3bd9711
 Zodiac (1988)
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Viler New Villain / int_3bd9711