SOLVED. 90's hacker/online virus fiction – two persons meet online without knowing the others gender. They are being chased across the - so new it's almost textbased - Internet by someone and there's a virus involved somehow. [s]

[Katharina]

I read this book probably back in the 90's, it was pretty cyber for those days. Two people met on an Internet which back in those days was still almost textbased, knowing eachother only by alias, meaning none of them knew the other persons gender (which was a big aspect of the book, but not a political gender issue thing, as I experienced it). For some reason – can't remember – they we're being chased throughout the Internet (government?), and eventually in real life. It wasn't set in the future, at least not more than a couple of years, at most. I think one of their aliases was Wince, and hir (which I think was the term they used) was a hacker.
There was a virus involved with a female name (Typhoid Mary?) Iirc it was either an actual real life cyber virus or based on one.
Does this ring any bells?

[Kelly]

This sounds a bit like Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson. Not a perfect match but dings 4/6 points. Good luck!

[Kris]

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson - Kelly's suggestion

[Katharina]

It's close, but the hir/ze thing was very prominent and at the core of the story – they kinda fell in love with each other, not knowing if they were in love with a guy or a girl – and the guy was called Wince for sure, or more likely Winc, come to think of it.
I think they were younger than the characters in Snow Crash, more like young adults. It might even have been a YA book, but the term wasn't as common back then and since I was a young adult myself I might not have reflected over it being targeted right at me.

[Katharina]

I found it!! Nearly Roadkill by Caitlin Sullivan! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Key words were "Winc" and "Typhoid Mary".

Thank you for your help!

[Kelly]

Yay!! I’m so glad you found it! <3