THE PERIPHERAL
London calling
WILLIAM GIBSON’S SCI-FI NOVEL HAS BEEN ADAPTED INTO A NEW PRIME VIDEO SERIES FROM THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS OF WESTWORLD
WORDS: TARA BEN NETT
FOR THE LAST DECADE, screenwriters Jonah Nolan and Lisa Joy have been telling stories that exist in the spaces where humans and technology intersect. Person Of Interest, Westworld and Reminiscence are all set in near futures where the delights and downfalls of reliance on tech inspire both awe and cautionary tales. And, of course, they’re both deeply inspired by the works of science fiction author William Gibson, who is credited with pioneering cyberpunk.
All that being the case, it comes as no surprise that all three writers eventually met, via Vincenzo Natali, and together they agreed to adapt Gibson’s 2014 novel The Peripheral into a new sci-fi series for Prime Video. Executive-produced by the Nolans, Natali, Athena Wickham (Westworld) and showrunner Scott B Smith (A Simple Plan), the series stars Chloë Grace Moretz and Jack Reynor as siblings Flynne and Burton Fisher. Together, they try their best to take care of their terminally ill mother, living lean (and without healthcare) in a depressed, rural American town just a step into the future.
Adhering closely to the structure of the book, the Fishers are adept gamers: Burton is former military and Flynne is practically a gaming savant. Their combined skills translate into them being able to do anything from beating levels for gamers to the occasional bit of beta-testing.