Agency is let down by an overload of time-jumping information dropped in the reader’s lap, but not a lot happens.
William Gibson has been long recognised as a unique science fiction author, not just for his insightful ‘predictions’ – a word that Gibson himself is loath to accept – of having written about what is now the norm of our cyberspace interconnected world.
In 2014, Gibson released his novel, The Peripheral, a tale set across the near future and into the 22nd Century. He introduced a secretive and shadowy network known as The Klept. The agents of The Klept monitor the activities of the past to ensure they do not divert from their expected paths.
His latest novel takes two of recent history’s most significant historical outcomes – the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States and the decision by the United Kingdom to exit the European Union – and turns them around. Hilary Clinton is Commander-in-Chief and the UK is still in the EU. In fact, at the time of writing the novel, the factual events occurring impacted his decisions and delayed the novel’s completion.
At the novel’s core is Verity, a young lady who has a knack for interacting and engaging with apps, resulting in a request to try a new one called Eunice. Unlike current apps, Eunice has a higher level of sentience and an understanding of the devastating consequences of impending actions. As they try to subvert the future from cementing its stronghold on their timeline, a man from the future, Wilf, has discovered that the only way to a sustainable and stable present in his timeline is through contact with Verity and Eunice. Wilf begins to make attempts to communicate with Verity, while under the watchful gaze of Lowbeer, an enforcer who may or may not be what she appears to be.
This is where Agencyis let down by an overload of time-jumping information dropped in the reader’s lap, but not a lot determinedly happens. However, Gibson’s prosaic language and descriptions, for which he has always been positively recognised, does serve to raise a wry smile. As we have seen in so many futuristic movies, design has never been truly purposeful but rather, aesthetic and eye-catching. Gibson’s detailed descriptions of futuristic aspects capture this in minute and comical detail.
Agency, while a sequel to The Peripheral, feels like more of a bridging story, with numerous unanswered questions which are expected to be solved in a likely third volume. With six years between the previous and current novel, one can imagine that COVID-19 may provide further twists in this series’ finale.
Reviewed by Glen Christie
Distributed by: Penguin Books Australia
Released: February 2020
RRP: $32.99
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