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jfaberrit's review against another edition
2.0
I usually like William Gibson, but this was an underbaked mess of a book. In the end, what could have made interesting use of the timeline idea instead didn't really use it at all -- the book could have had the two main locations be on different continents without losing anything at all. Details that should have been critical, like the cause of the action that motivates the entire plot, are basically swept away without anything even passing for an explanation, while random characters are introduced throughout to fill plot gaps, without any attempt to explain how they fit into a bigger picture. The technological aspects are admittedly interesting, but the timing is questionable, since peripherals as envisioned in this book are already moving closer to reality, with some treatments for paralysis already actively exploring this field.
Overall, this was a book that could have been much better. For one that did use essentially the same ideas, but in a way that actually, you know, made sense, try Lock In by John Scalzi.
Overall, this was a book that could have been much better. For one that did use essentially the same ideas, but in a way that actually, you know, made sense, try Lock In by John Scalzi.
andrewisreading's review
3.0
Interesting premise and world building. Feels like it falls a bit flat at the end.
tomasthanes's review against another edition
5.0
So, I'm confused. I started to read [a:William Gibson|9226|William Gibson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1373826214p2/9226.jpg]'s novel about the same time that we started to watch Amazon Prime Video's The Peripheral TV series. Some early reviews of the novel said that "the first half was great but the second half not so much". I did not find this to be true. It seemed consistently paced through the entire book and had a strong, satisfying ending.
Speaking of the TV series. I far prefer Mr. Gibson's novel and I am quite baffled by some of the changes that the TV series chose to implement.
Proceed at your own peril. There might be spoilers. I should remind you that I'm still waiting for the last 2 episodes to drop and view; YMMV.
* In the novel, Flynn, subbing for Burton in the peri, witnesses a murder and becomes a target of the Matryoshka; in the TV series, Flynn "steals" something from the Research Institute, yada, yada, yada. There is no Research Institute in the novel and the Cherise Nuland character was not a very believable villain (except for maybe the scene with the bees).
* In the novel, I believe that Mr. Gibson did far more with the fabbed smart phones than the TV series is: folded, wrapped around their wrist, etc.
* In the novel, people in the "present" used a "Viz" as a AR monocle; nothing like this in the TV series.
* In the novel, "Homes" (AKA Homeland Security) has replaced police at all levels of government; I wonder if this is a good thing (it isn't in the novel).
* In the novel, there was a combit quadcopter in Conner's front yard; in the TV series, .... They were even working on it to get it back in the air.
* In the novel, drones (especially those used by Burton and his Marine brothers) were smart and worked in a swarm (like in [a:Daniel Suarez|1956402|Daniel Suarez|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1265394868p2/1956402.jpg]' books); okay, there were some drones incidentally in the TV series. So sue me; I like details.
* In the novel, the character arc of deputy sheriff Tommy Constantine was significant and satisfying (especially as he worked closer and closer with Burton and his team); in the TV series, he was pathetic and all alone. Where was the earthshattering kaboom on the Corbel Picket estate with the smoking crater in the ground in the TV show?
* In the novel, Metropolitan Police Inspector Ainsley Lowbeer is a former intelligence agent, with long lived experience in the field; in the TV series, he/she is a steaming pile of distracting confusion.
* In the novel, there's an island built up from the raw materials of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and inhabited by patchers; in the TV series, ....
* In the novel, Michikoid droids (makeing me think of the geisha bots in Ghost in the Shell (2017)) were everywhere, transforming via assembler tech; in the TV series, they aren't named until the penultimate episode and then are disappointing.
* In the novel and the TV series, future London has the air purifying "shards" like giant classical statues; I don't know that the TV series uses that name for them.
* In the novel, Corbel Picket may be at the bottom of a smoking crater thanks to Burton (except that he ends up in Nassau); in the TV series, we're still waiting for the bad guy's inevitable end.
* Both the novel and the TV series do a decent explanation of the factors that led to the "Jackpot".
* In the novel, rental cars were Chinese and made out of cardboard; that was probably some very interesting engineering for one of those to pass any sort of crash safety test.
* About the only interesting (but not plausible) tech in the TV show were the stealth Audis that seemed able to pass any crash test with absolutely zero damage.
* I could go on.
All in all, through 7 out of 8 episodes, I find the plot and storyline of the TV series weaker than the novel. Of course, that might all change in the final two episodes. Okay, no, that's extremely unlikely.
I *so* like what Flynn did to the Pharma Jon franchise in the novel. If we had Medici (like the novel), that might solve so many problems with modern American health care.
By the way, did you notice that after the title of this book on Amazon it says "(The Jackpot Trilogy Book 1)"? The next book in the series is called [b:Agency|34943643|Agency (Jackpot, #2)|William Gibson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493829667l/34943643._SY75_.jpg|56213188].
Keep writing, Mr. Gibson, and we'll keep reading.
Speaking of the TV series. I far prefer Mr. Gibson's novel and I am quite baffled by some of the changes that the TV series chose to implement.
Proceed at your own peril. There might be spoilers. I should remind you that I'm still waiting for the last 2 episodes to drop and view; YMMV.
* In the novel, Flynn, subbing for Burton in the peri, witnesses a murder and becomes a target of the Matryoshka; in the TV series, Flynn "steals" something from the Research Institute, yada, yada, yada. There is no Research Institute in the novel and the Cherise Nuland character was not a very believable villain (except for maybe the scene with the bees).
* In the novel, I believe that Mr. Gibson did far more with the fabbed smart phones than the TV series is: folded, wrapped around their wrist, etc.
* In the novel, people in the "present" used a "Viz" as a AR monocle; nothing like this in the TV series.
* In the novel, "Homes" (AKA Homeland Security) has replaced police at all levels of government; I wonder if this is a good thing (it isn't in the novel).
* In the novel, there was a combit quadcopter in Conner's front yard; in the TV series, ...
* In the novel, drones (especially those used by Burton and his Marine brothers) were smart and worked in a swarm (like in [a:Daniel Suarez|1956402|Daniel Suarez|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1265394868p2/1956402.jpg]' books); okay, there were some drones incidentally in the TV series. So sue me; I like details.
* In the novel, the character arc of deputy sheriff Tommy Constantine was significant and satisfying (especially as he worked closer and closer with Burton and his team); in the TV series, he was pathetic and all alone. Where was the earthshattering kaboom on the Corbel Picket estate with the smoking crater in the ground in the TV show?
* In the novel, Metropolitan Police Inspector Ainsley Lowbeer is a former intelligence agent, with long lived experience in the field; in the TV series, he/she is a steaming pile of distracting confusion.
* In the novel, there's an island built up from the raw materials of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and inhabited by patchers; in the TV series, ...
* In the novel, Michikoid droids (makeing me think of the geisha bots in Ghost in the Shell (2017)) were everywhere, transforming via assembler tech; in the TV series, they aren't named until the penultimate episode and then are disappointing.
* In the novel and the TV series, future London has the air purifying "shards" like giant classical statues; I don't know that the TV series uses that name for them.
* In the novel, Corbel Picket may be at the bottom of a smoking crater thanks to Burton (except that he ends up in Nassau); in the TV series, we're still waiting for the bad guy's inevitable end.
* Both the novel and the TV series do a decent explanation of the factors that led to the "Jackpot".
* In the novel, rental cars were Chinese and made out of cardboard; that was probably some very interesting engineering for one of those to pass any sort of crash safety test.
* About the only interesting (but not plausible) tech in the TV show were the stealth Audis that seemed able to pass any crash test with absolutely zero damage.
* I could go on.
All in all, through 7 out of 8 episodes, I find the plot and storyline of the TV series weaker than the novel. Of course, that might all change in the final two episodes. Okay, no, that's extremely unlikely.
I *so* like what Flynn did to the Pharma Jon franchise in the novel. If we had Medici (like the novel), that might solve so many problems with modern American health care.
By the way, did you notice that after the title of this book on Amazon it says "(The Jackpot Trilogy Book 1)"? The next book in the series is called [b:Agency|34943643|Agency (Jackpot, #2)|William Gibson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493829667l/34943643._SY75_.jpg|56213188].
Keep writing, Mr. Gibson, and we'll keep reading.
ruskie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
timinbc's review
1.0
I admit I had already soured on Gibson, but I wanted to give him another chance. I'm probably older than most of his readers, but I am tech-savvy and have read a LOT of SF. I've read plenty of leading-edge stuff and liked some of it.
This is techno-babble, look-how-cool-I-am nonsense. I bailed at page 19, probably the earliest I have ever quit on a book. I know featureless characters, I’m-one-of-the-cool-kids references, and pretentious cryptic conversations when I see them.
Your mileage may vary, so go for it, you might like it. Others have.
This is techno-babble, look-how-cool-I-am nonsense. I bailed at page 19, probably the earliest I have ever quit on a book. I know featureless characters, I’m-one-of-the-cool-kids references, and pretentious cryptic conversations when I see them.
Your mileage may vary, so go for it, you might like it. Others have.