The Peripheral - Kirjakasa

485 pages

English language

Published Nov. 6, 2014

ISBN:: 978-0-399-15844-5
Goodreads:: 20821159

(2 reviews)

Depending on her veteran brother's benefits in a city where jobs outside the drug trade are rare, Flynne assists her brother's latest beta-test tech assignment only to uncover an elaborate murder scheme.

"William Gibson returns with his first novel since 2010's New York Times-bestselling Zero History. Where Flynne and her brother, Burton, live, jobs outside the drug business are rare. Fortunately, Burton has his veteran's benefits, for neural damage he suffered from implants during his time in the USMC's elite Haptic Recon force. Then one night Burton has to go out, but there's a job he's supposed to do-a job Flynne didn't know he had. Beta-testing part of a new game, he tells her. The job seems to be simple: work a perimeter around the image of a tower building. Little buglike things turn up. He's supposed to get in their way, edge them back. That's all there is to …

Depending on her veteran brother's benefits in a city where jobs outside the drug trade are rare, Flynne assists her brother's latest beta-test tech assignment only to uncover an elaborate murder scheme.

"William Gibson returns with his first novel since 2010's New York Times-bestselling Zero History. Where Flynne and her brother, Burton, live, jobs outside the drug business are rare. Fortunately, Burton has his veteran's benefits, for neural damage he suffered from implants during his time in the USMC's elite Haptic Recon force. Then one night Burton has to go out, but there's a job he's supposed to do-a job Flynne didn't know he had. Beta-testing part of a new game, he tells her. The job seems to be simple: work a perimeter around the image of a tower building. Little buglike things turn up. He's supposed to get in their way, edge them back. That's all there is to it. He's offering Flynne a good price to take over for him. What she sees, though, isn't what Burton told her to expect. It might be a game, but it might also be murder"--

"New novel from New York Times bestselling author William Gibson"--

43 editions

Thom reviewed The Peripheral by William Gibson

Review of 'The peripheral' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

The first time I picked this up, I was struck by two things. It feels like Gibson, and, what the hell is going on? I set it down 100 pages in with no clarity, and ended up rereading it from the start a few months later. This second start resulted in the momentum to finish, but now I feel like I've read a 600 page book. At least it is a standalone novel... whoops, now there's a sequel.

Chapters alternate between two different points of view, and later you find out those alternate between two different universes. There are some fantastic scene descriptions, and cool tech makes appearances. "Cyberspace" doesn't show up in this future, but a pocket universe does, and the tech behind that is completely unexplained. Nanobots also show up, in the form of "assemblers", but always under control somehow. And the plot? A very drawn out murder …

The first time I picked this up, I was struck by two things. It feels like Gibson, and, what the hell is going on? I set it down 100 pages in with no clarity, and ended up rereading it from the start a few months later. This second start resulted in the momentum to finish, but now I feel like I've read a 600 page book. At least it is a standalone novel... whoops, now there's a sequel.

Chapters alternate between two different points of view, and later you find out those alternate between two different universes. There are some fantastic scene descriptions, and cool tech makes appearances. "Cyberspace" doesn't show up in this future, but a pocket universe does, and the tech behind that is completely unexplained. Nanobots also show up, in the form of "assemblers", but always under control somehow. And the plot? A very drawn out murder mystery (of sorts) and also a struggle for power between two factions. Neither is particularly satisfying. 2½ stars.

msaari reviewed The Peripheral by William Gibson

Review of 'The Peripheral' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

William Gibson on erinomainen kirjailija, jolla on oivallinen taipumus kirjoittaa futuristisia kirjoja, jotka kuitenkin ovat erittäin vahvasti ajan hermolla. The Peripheral sijoittuu kahdelle eri aikatasolle, joista molemmat ovat meidän aikaamme edellä, mutta kertoo sittenkin ehkä eniten meidän ajastamme.

Meidän aikaamme lähemmän aikatason päähenkilöt Flynne ja Burton ovat sisaruksia, jotka elävät pientä elämää amerikkalaisessa maalaiskaupungissa, jossa elämä on vaatimatonta, köyhää ja nuhjuista. Burton on sotaveteraani, Flynne työskentelee sekalaisissa duuneissa, pääasiassa paikallisella 3D-tulostuspajalla. Burtonille tulee muuta tekemistä, jonka vuoksi hän pyytää siskoaan tuuraamaan töissään.

Helppo homma: pitää vain lentää nelikopteria turvallisuushommissa ja hätistellä paparazzien lennokkeja kauemmas. Homma liittyy johonkin tietokonepeliin tai virtuaalimaailmaan tai johonkin vastaavaan. Flynne hoitaa homman, mutta näkee pelissä murhan: nainen tapetaan tylysti ja Flynne on tapauksen ainoa todistaja.

Tästä alkaa noir- ja kyberpunk-henkinen trilleri, joka liikkuu sujuvasti kahdella eri aikatasolla. Luvut ovat lyhyitä ja vaihtelevat aikatasolta toiselle, yhdistäen eri aikakaudet melkoiseksi keitokseksi. The Peripheral on melkoisen omaperäinen aikamatkatrilleri. Täydellinen …

William Gibson on erinomainen kirjailija, jolla on oivallinen taipumus kirjoittaa futuristisia kirjoja, jotka kuitenkin ovat erittäin vahvasti ajan hermolla. The Peripheral sijoittuu kahdelle eri aikatasolle, joista molemmat ovat meidän aikaamme edellä, mutta kertoo sittenkin ehkä eniten meidän ajastamme.

Meidän aikaamme lähemmän aikatason päähenkilöt Flynne ja Burton ovat sisaruksia, jotka elävät pientä elämää amerikkalaisessa maalaiskaupungissa, jossa elämä on vaatimatonta, köyhää ja nuhjuista. Burton on sotaveteraani, Flynne työskentelee sekalaisissa duuneissa, pääasiassa paikallisella 3D-tulostuspajalla. Burtonille tulee muuta tekemistä, jonka vuoksi hän pyytää siskoaan tuuraamaan töissään.

Helppo homma: pitää vain lentää nelikopteria turvallisuushommissa ja hätistellä paparazzien lennokkeja kauemmas. Homma liittyy johonkin tietokonepeliin tai virtuaalimaailmaan tai johonkin vastaavaan. Flynne hoitaa homman, mutta näkee pelissä murhan: nainen tapetaan tylysti ja Flynne on tapauksen ainoa todistaja.

Tästä alkaa noir- ja kyberpunk-henkinen trilleri, joka liikkuu sujuvasti kahdella eri aikatasolla. Luvut ovat lyhyitä ja vaihtelevat aikatasolta toiselle, yhdistäen eri aikakaudet melkoiseksi keitokseksi. The Peripheral on melkoisen omaperäinen aikamatkatrilleri. Täydellinen se ei varmastikaan ole, mutta piirtää Gibsonin romaanien tapaan lukijan eteen sen verran mielenkiintoisen tulevaisuuden, että kirjan heikkoudet unohtuvat sitä ihastellessa. Hieno teos. (8.3.2015)