Gibson is known for his noir fiction and is widely credited for creating the subgenre ‘cyberpunk’. The Peripheral is based on the 2014 novel of the same name by William Gibson.

Tempted by the promise of more money, and life-saving medicine for her mother, Flynne is propelled into the crosshairs of three factions: Cherise (T’Nia Miller), the cunning head of the Research Institute, who will go to any lengths to recover what was taken from her Lev Zubov (JJ Feild), the powerful oligarch - or 'klept' - who wants the information for himself and the formidable Detective Inspector Ainsley Lowbeer of the Metropolitan Police (Alexandra Billings), who knows all of the players, but doesn’t yet understand the stakes. Someone has opened a door from the future to Flynne’s time, potentially endangering both timeframes. That’s because this isn’t a simulation: it's London in 2099, rebuilt in the wake of a series of global catastrophes known as the ‘Jackpot’. But when Flynne completes the first stage and meets Aelita (Charlotte Riley), the inscrutable figure behind the voice, the game begins to feel a little too real. In a sleek, futuristic London, she’s guided by a voice to infiltrate the Research Institute and steal a secret so valuable that people kill for it. Trying to earn extra cash for her mother’s medical bills as a ‘Sim Jockey’, Flynne (Moretz) finds herself in a sim that’s better, and more realistic, than any she’s played before. Smith, creator and showrunner of The Peripheral. “Most of the themes The Peripheral addresses come straight from William Gibson - they’re the very themes that animate his work at large,” said Scott B. She becomes wanted by multiple parties, but must seek answers in the future to save herself and her family.Įxpect time-travel, heists, AI and espionage throughout this action-packed series. After completing a dangerous mission, the repercussions inadvertently affect her life in her current world. Struggling financially due to medical bills, her brother is contacted by a mysterious company to trial a new game for a financial reward.Īs the superior gamer, Flynne takes her brother’s place in the trial but soon realises this new simulation is more than a game when she’s transported to London in the distant future. Set initially in the year 2032 in rural America, The Peripheral centres around Flynne Fisher, an accomplished gamer who lives with her war veteran brother, Burton, and her increasingly unwell mother.

The Peripheral by William Gibson