November 1, 2014
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmBook Review: The Peripheral
By Annie Sneed
On supporting science journalism
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The Peripheral
by William Gibson
G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2014 (($28.95))
Famed speculative-fiction author Gibson writes of a noir reality where technology dominates a society possessing mind-controlled smartphones, an advanced Web that permits time travel, and robots that appear human but are actually mentally remote-controlled by people. In this dark, Big Brother–esque world, the main characters live in near and distant futures connected by a wireless device called “the server.” An unknown employer hires the story's heroine, Flynne, to beta-test a virtual game. While playing, she accidentally witnesses a homicide and soon discovers that the game is actually a window into the future. She has no choice but to traverse time to help solve the whodunit.
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