The Peripheral by William GibsonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Peripheral (The Jackpot Trilogy #1), by William Gibson, 2014
Elaborately detailed, incredibly creative, and full of ingenious ideas. In this fast-paced hard sci-fi novel, we sort of get two stories in one, with each taking place in a separate timeline. Events and decisions from each timeline manifest as outcomes in each other's, well, sort of.
In the 22nd-century timeline the author has created, there are three pillars of society which consist of The Kleptocracy (The Klept), The Metropolitan Police, which keeps the former in check, and The Research Institute, which provides technical assistance to the general population through research and technology but compromised by The Klept.
Flynn, our heroine in the 21st-century timeline, witnesses something she shouldn't have while piloting a Peripheral in the 22nd-century timeline. Peripherals are a type of physical avatar in the 22nd century that users from either timeline can control. This sets off a chain of events in the 22nd century that reverberates to Flynn's timeline.
The Peripheral is one of those books where one must focus and pay attention and sometimes reread chapters. There are so many characters, technologies, and moving parts, all fitting with each other eventually, that taking notes might be helpful. I enjoyed this book very much, so despite the effort required to get through it, I might read the second installment.
I want to note that Amazon Prime's adaptation of this novel to an 8-part tv series prompted me to read the book. After seeing two episodes, I was hooked and decided to race through the book. While the tv show diverges from the book, they are different enough that not only can both be enjoyed, but enhances each other.
I rate this book 5 stars out of 5 stars.
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