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harlando's review against another edition
3.0
William Gibson is a towering genius of sci-fi, but even he can't produce greatness every time. I liked the book without finding it amazing.
Time travel is one of my least favorite sci-fi subject areas. I find it hard to explain why, perhaps I lack the sophistication for it. I usually avoid it. This was one of the readers choice winners for sci-fi and I like Gibson, so I gave it a try. I am not disappointed, I just seem to like it a bit less than most.
I often found myself asking, what is the point? The heroine is a software tester in a contemporary earth who is contacted by a mysterious semi-governmental figure from an alternate, future earth. There is never a good explanation of why. It's often referred to as a hobby. I could get behind that. Who wouldn't enjoy playing god? It would be like a global version of the Sims. However, that explanation is never quite developed enough to satisfy. Maybe that's being saved for the next book, but not having a plausible explanation for why the future is spending so effort to meddle with a past that will diverge and not affect the manipulators takes something away from the story.
It is funny that in a book called 'Agency,' most of the characters seem to have none. The sentient AI and the future-cop who encourages it seem to shuffle all of the other characters about at will. Since the manipulative future-cop 'woke,' (maybe not the right word) the AI, she is the only character that can really be seen to have much agency. Everyone else, heroine included, is a pawn and that makes them less interesting. That might be why the book has more characters than Anna Karenina.
Time travel is one of my least favorite sci-fi subject areas. I find it hard to explain why, perhaps I lack the sophistication for it. I usually avoid it. This was one of the readers choice winners for sci-fi and I like Gibson, so I gave it a try. I am not disappointed, I just seem to like it a bit less than most.
I often found myself asking, what is the point? The heroine is a software tester in a contemporary earth who is contacted by a mysterious semi-governmental figure from an alternate, future earth. There is never a good explanation of why. It's often referred to as a hobby. I could get behind that. Who wouldn't enjoy playing god? It would be like a global version of the Sims. However, that explanation is never quite developed enough to satisfy. Maybe that's being saved for the next book, but not having a plausible explanation for why the future is spending so effort to meddle with a past that will diverge and not affect the manipulators takes something away from the story.
It is funny that in a book called 'Agency,' most of the characters seem to have none. The sentient AI and the future-cop who encourages it seem to shuffle all of the other characters about at will. Since the manipulative future-cop 'woke,' (maybe not the right word) the AI, she is the only character that can really be seen to have much agency. Everyone else, heroine included, is a pawn and that makes them less interesting. That might be why the book has more characters than Anna Karenina.
maddun's review against another edition
Plot: Protagonist goes from one location to the next and back again, repeat
I liked some concepts and the future setting, the plot didn't quite do it for me, but that's maybe because I kept reading it before bed when already sleepy?
I am looking forward to reading the third book in the series.
I liked some concepts and the future setting, the plot didn't quite do it for me, but that's maybe because I kept reading it before bed when already sleepy?
I am looking forward to reading the third book in the series.
gf3's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
gwcoffey's review against another edition
3.0
Dare I say it? This book is a little boring. I suppose Gibson’s earned the right to just explore techno-future ideas without worrying too much about character and plot after giving us a lifetime of great stuff. As always, the tech is interesting and the language is fun. But overall not nearly as good as The Peripheral.
iverbrau's review against another edition
lighthearted
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? No
4.5
sbliang's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Easier to understand than Peripheral
inkocean's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Agency follows the adventures of a woman caught up in quasi-legal AI testing around the year 2020. Gibson incorporates a cool (and new to me) take on how alternative realities are created and then connected to our 'real' timeline. I appreciate the skill it takes to write a 400 page book covering 5-6 days.
The chapters are usually 2-4 pages, making this super accessible despite the intimidating page count. When I finished the book, I wanted to know more about the characters and world I'd just experienced.
And Lowbeer is just a kick ass, cool character!
The chapters are usually 2-4 pages, making this super accessible despite the intimidating page count. When I finished the book, I wanted to know more about the characters and world I'd just experienced.
And Lowbeer is just a kick ass, cool character!
tomasthanes's review against another edition
5.0
First, I enjoyed this second book in the Jackpot trilogy as much as I enjoyed the first book ("The Peripheral") and I enjoyed that book far more than the Prime Video TV series because I thought the book's story was stronger and the way Mr. Gibson tied up all of the loose ends at the end of the book far more satisfying than the TV show (Netherton and Rainey, Flynne and Tommy, Tommy working more closely with Burton and his "squad", Pharma Jon, etc.).
So I approach this book review with trepidation for two reasons.
First (but different from the first first at the start of the review), there is no next book in the series (yet). I can only imagine Mr. Gibson hard at work on either the manuscript or working with the publisher to make it available to his readers. But what shall I read next?
Second, since the TV series ("The Peripheral") was so much weaker than the novel it was based on, I anticipate even less the second season of the TV show because it will be weaker because of the first season foundation that it was built on. I'm not privy to the discussions for why the show runners and writers made the choices they did. I disagree with the choices they made regarding the story (in general) but still enjoyed the TV show (though less than the novel).
I really liked the way this story started because as they introduced more characters from the first book, there were familiar anchors to hold onto. Netherton, Conner, Ash, Rainey, Lowbeer, and even Lev and his thylacines.
I loved the development of the new character Eunice (from the Greek Εὐνίκη, Euníkē, from "eu", good, and "níkē", victory) or "Untethered Noetic Irregular Support System" (if you must).
I loved the reference to "unobtainium".
I do wish that Mr. Gibson had used a different name for the "object" that was the mostly non-flying drone. Drones have propellers and fly through the air. This was more like a "big headless robot dogs, with backpacks" (referring to those made by Boston Dynamics). I kept picturing it in my head like R2D2 even though it probably didn't look anything like that droid.
I don't believe that Navy Chief Marlene Miller was an actual historical person. I saw a reference to her name in another article (a book review on nature.com) but Google didn't suggest that she was real. I like the fact that she was Navy because it was something that she had in common with Conner (Conner: "You military?", Eunice: "Part of me was. Navy. Knew plenty of Marines.").
I also liked the fact that the first autonomous AI (in that "stub") was a person of color, specifically African American.
I like how they dealt with Kevin Pryor (even though this allows him to return in a sequel).
I wish I could see an actual "dappled Thames chimera" especially around Christmas time when they performed their "synchronized antics".
I'm ready to read the next book in the series.
So I approach this book review with trepidation for two reasons.
First (but different from the first first at the start of the review), there is no next book in the series (yet). I can only imagine Mr. Gibson hard at work on either the manuscript or working with the publisher to make it available to his readers. But what shall I read next?
Second, since the TV series ("The Peripheral") was so much weaker than the novel it was based on, I anticipate even less the second season of the TV show because it will be weaker because of the first season foundation that it was built on. I'm not privy to the discussions for why the show runners and writers made the choices they did. I disagree with the choices they made regarding the story (in general) but still enjoyed the TV show (though less than the novel).
I really liked the way this story started because as they introduced more characters from the first book, there were familiar anchors to hold onto. Netherton, Conner, Ash, Rainey, Lowbeer, and even Lev and his thylacines.
I loved the development of the new character Eunice (from the Greek Εὐνίκη, Euníkē, from "eu", good, and "níkē", victory) or "Untethered Noetic Irregular Support System" (if you must).
I loved the reference to "unobtainium".
I do wish that Mr. Gibson had used a different name for the "object" that was the mostly non-flying drone. Drones have propellers and fly through the air. This was more like a "big headless robot dogs, with backpacks" (referring to those made by Boston Dynamics). I kept picturing it in my head like R2D2 even though it probably didn't look anything like that droid.
I don't believe that Navy Chief Marlene Miller was an actual historical person. I saw a reference to her name in another article (a book review on nature.com) but Google didn't suggest that she was real. I like the fact that she was Navy because it was something that she had in common with Conner (Conner: "You military?", Eunice: "Part of me was. Navy. Knew plenty of Marines.").
I also liked the fact that the first autonomous AI (in that "stub") was a person of color, specifically African American.
I like how they dealt with Kevin Pryor (even though this allows him to return in a sequel).
I wish I could see an actual "dappled Thames chimera" especially around Christmas time when they performed their "synchronized antics".
I'm ready to read the next book in the series.
grahamclements's review against another edition
4.0
A sequel to the excellent The Peripheral, which has been made into a series by Amazon. Set mainly in a different time ‘stub’ from the original, this story concerns an AI in digital code form sent to 2017 to nudge the world away from a nuclear war. Many of the characters from the first novel reappear in this novel. Gibson adds to the phenomenal world building of the first novel in a fast-paced techno-thriller, which while a great read, is not as good as the first novel. Recommend you read The Peripheral first.