![]() ![]() ![]() Having said that, it would be a misrepresentation of Gibson’s novel to leave it there. In short, you will probably be left wondering what the hell is going on for a little while, and that takes patience and commitment. There are a lot of terms the reader has to absorb – the klept, stubs, the jackpot, not to mention the idea of the peripheral, are only a few – as well as concepts associated with a different and unfamiliar world. His term, ‘homes’, from context, seems to refer to America’s Homeland Security, but it’s not until the final quarter of the novel that this is actually confirmed. Some terms are just Gibson’s winking joke: social media in Flynne’s near future is called ‘Badger’, for instance. But Gibson’s writing is fast paced, with little exposition, and with many names and terms which you need to learn from clues spread throughout the plot. That can be wonderful if you’re ready for it if you’re expecting to have to focus just a little harder for your guilty pleasure. ![]() Gibson has a reputation for throwing readers in at the deep end. I started Neuromancer years ago and found I didn’t have the patience, at that time, to immerse myself in Gibson’s world. I came to The Peripheral rather indirectly. This is despite Gibson’s reputation and his established importance to Science Fiction and cyberpunk after his first novel, Neuromancer. The Peripheral is the first William Gibson novel I’ve read. ![]()
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