The settings change, but William Gibson remains the same. Ever since Neuromancer, Gibson has consistently written edgy, at times prescient science fiction that keeps the reader mildly confused but fully intrigued.

The Peripheral is no exception. Here, some good old Americans in the not-t0o-distant future try to make a few extra bucks by working with some new gaming hardware only to find out that they’ve connected with far more than a game.

Amazon Prime released a television series based on this novel in 2022 that did a solid job translating the Gibson to the small screen. I found scenes from the television show flashing back through my mind as the book unfolded. It’s funny how, regardless of what the book describes, Chloë Grace Moretz is Flynn. Ah, the power of visual media.

I wouldn’t call The Peripheral one of Gibson’s finest, but it’s certainly an engaging read.

Gibson, William. The Peripheral. Narrated by Lorelei King, Audiobook, Unabridged, 2014, Penguin Random House.