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Agency

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About this listen

"One of the most visionary, original, and quietly influential writers currently working" (Boston Globe) returns with a brand-new novel.

In William Gibson's first novel since 2014's New York Times best-selling The Peripheral, a gifted "app-whisperer", hired to beta test a mysterious new product, finds her life endangered by her relationship with her surprisingly street-smart and combat-savvy "digital assistant".

©2020 William Gibson (P)2020 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction Technothrillers Thriller & Suspense Technology Thriller Suspenseful
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“Agency” is the follow-up to “The Peripheral” and, though that hadn't been up to Gibson's previous standards, the conceit of linked but separate futures and “stubs” was intriguing enough to make me look forward to listening to this continuation. I wish I hadn't bothered; it was the literary equivalent of a pre-packaged salt-beef sandwich — the packaging and brand made it look so tasty but one bite showed it was nothing but by-the-numbers fare, which I only finished because I had paid for it and was still hungry afterwards.

The problem is that Gibson is a writer whose ideas are so very good that they make up for his lack of skill in creating a sense of urgency and danger, even when that's what he is straining to do. This is not so bad with printed books as the reader's own enthusiasm helps to keep the pages turning. But with an audiobook, it's the narrator dictating the pace and, though Lorelei King has a genuinely pleasing voice and style, she didn't manage to make even the chase sequence seem remotely exciting. Compare this with a master of narration like Michael Jayston; with seemingly no effort, he manages to make sections of Le Carrés “Smiley“ books crackle with relentless pace and gravity. The material helps, of course, but the narration is crucial.

I never thought I would find myself saying this about a William Gibson book but I really can't recommend this to anyone expecting something worthy of his name and reputation. Fingers crossed for a return to form next time.

ZZZzzzzzzzz......

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Great narrator. Not a great book. The previous book had more of an interesting plot, set in nearly the same world with some of same characters.

meh

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I enjoy the book, took a will to realise that for me I need to re-read some bits several ted to understand the intricacies of the story. will be reading more of his books.

A good read

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The first few moments took much effort to convince myself that the rest will be worth listening to, the readers voice being the polar opposite of the Neuromancer narrator. But it works, and very well.

It's easy to lose track of characters, and reasons for why this or that action is being taken. Could have been shorter.

Everything else is brilliant, giving you ample food for thought. The image of the world William Gibson imagines is often too real for comfort, and relative agency becomes a theme one begins to appreciate all around.

Sharp and conjuring

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The world that has been set up has plenty of potential, but the story fails to deliver.

Underwhelming

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