‘The Peripheral’: Futuristic tale thrills with action, intrigue

William Gibson's new novel, 'The Peripheral” (Putnam, 386 pages, $28.95), is set in two futures. The first is some vague number of years from now. The other is 70 or so years later. They are not on the same timeline, but they are in contact, with events in one time influencing events in the other. Flynne Fisher finds herself swept up in a conflict beyond her understanding when she witnesses a murder in what isn't quite her future.

Gibson, the man who coined the word 'cyberspace” in the early 1980s and burst onto the literary scene with the publication of 'Neuromancer” in 1984, is a master of creating plausible near-futures. In much of his recent work, the role of marketing and public relations in global affairs is a primary subject, and 'The Peripheral” is no exception. Flynne's primary contact in the future is Wilf Netherton, a public relations professional whose romantic indiscretion is a primary cause of the ensuing drama.

Another of the book's central concerns is the nature and origin of dystopia. The worlds of 'The Peripheral” have fallen apart incrementally and in ways that are difficult for their inhabitants to fully define.

In his distinctive narrative style, Gibson unwinds a necessarily complex plot while pulling off a variety of surprises and maintaining high levels of suspense. He also successfully develops the members his large cast - Flynne and Wilf in particular, but also several other key figures, including a mysteriously powerful woman who can pull strings in both timelines.

'The Peripheral” is an exceptional novel, successfully blending action, character, and theme to create a memorable and affecting tale.