5 ms·

The Future is Here

23 points by benbreen 12y ago

eli_gottlieb 12y ago
Oh boy. Another Gibson cyberpunk novel about how shit everything is. This will totally be worth spending money on, as opposed to some other encouragement to get it over with and kill myself /s.
jes5199 12y ago
I know plenty of people who loved "The Peripheral", but despite some clever contrivances in the settings, I found it to be a completely boring book. The plot unfolded with no help from the protagonists and nothing unexpected ever happened.
- Avshalom 12y ago
  >The plot unfolded with no help from the protagonists This was, I realized in hindsight, a problem with his Blue Ant books too.
widowlark 12y ago
Does anyone else feel a comparison between this novel and Snow Crash? Some of the plot points are eerily similar.
- lhl 12y ago
  Having re-read Snow Crash last year, I'd have to say that while the books have a bit of overlap (the deleterious effects of post-industrialization is something of a theme from the earliest cyberpunk, it's almost a defining characteristic), they differ quite a bit, both thematically and stylistically. On style/tone, Snow Crash is a bit zanier, more satirical, and boisterous, while The Peripheral is by and large sharper, more grounded, and spare (typical Gibson). In terms of story/plot (spoilers, obviously), while Snow Crash revolves primarily around a world-domination plot and a world-spanning chase to unravel that plot and the development of a seekrit cyber-weapon, The Peripheral focuses on a much more mundane, chance encounter that spirals out (unraveling much more like a whodunit, including the reveal) that takes place primarily in 2 "locations" (with the central conceit/twist described in the linked article about a historical/simulated world and the future-present) - so in other words, they're totally different, and I'm surprised you'd make any sort of plot connections from the article's description! While it wasn't perfect (I also reread Neuromancer last year, so maybe The Peripheral suffers in comparison), it was a pretty fun read and had a bit to chew on so I'd certainly recommend it if you're an SF fan.
M8 12y ago
Future is not here. We are nowhere near nanobots.
- mycroft-holmes 12y ago
  Are we? http://www.gizmag.com/nanobot-micromotors-deliver-nanoparticles-living-creature/35700/ http://www.gizmag.com/nanobot-micromotors-deliver-nanopartic...
  - M8 12y ago
    Those are more like nano-automatons: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automaton http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automaton

23 points by benbreen 12y ago

Oh boy. Another Gibson cyberpunk novel about how shit everything is. This will totally be worth spending money on, as opposed to some other encouragement to get it over with and kill myself /s.

jes5199 12y ago

I know plenty of people who loved "The Peripheral", but despite some clever contrivances in the settings, I found it to be a completely boring book. The plot unfolded with no help from the protagonists and nothing unexpected ever happened.

Avshalom 12y ago
>The plot unfolded with no help from the protagonists This was, I realized in hindsight, a problem with his Blue Ant books too.

widowlark 12y ago

Does anyone else feel a comparison between this novel and Snow Crash? Some of the plot points are eerily similar.

lhl 12y ago
Having re-read Snow Crash last year, I'd have to say that while the books have a bit of overlap (the deleterious effects of post-industrialization is something of a theme from the earliest cyberpunk, it's almost a defining characteristic), they differ quite a bit, both thematically and stylistically. On style/tone, Snow Crash is a bit zanier, more satirical, and boisterous, while The Peripheral is by and large sharper, more grounded, and spare (typical Gibson). In terms of story/plot (spoilers, obviously), while Snow Crash revolves primarily around a world-domination plot and a world-spanning chase to unravel that plot and the development of a seekrit cyber-weapon, The Peripheral focuses on a much more mundane, chance encounter that spirals out (unraveling much more like a whodunit, including the reveal) that takes place primarily in 2 "locations" (with the central conceit/twist described in the linked article about a historical/simulated world and the future-present) - so in other words, they're totally different, and I'm surprised you'd make any sort of plot connections from the article's description! While it wasn't perfect (I also reread Neuromancer last year, so maybe The Peripheral suffers in comparison), it was a pretty fun read and had a bit to chew on so I'd certainly recommend it if you're an SF fan.

M8 12y ago

Future is not here. We are nowhere near nanobots.

mycroft-holmes 12y ago
Are we? http://www.gizmag.com/nanobot-micromotors-deliver-nanoparticles-living-creature/35700/ http://www.gizmag.com/nanobot-micromotors-deliver-nanopartic...
- M8 12y ago
  Those are more like nano-automatons: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automaton http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automaton