This is a book of conversations. Which is not to say there isn't more going on here - in fact, there's a lot, as Verity Jane spends much of the book on the run and trying to stay off the grid in our very on-the-grid technological present. But, to me, the much more interesting thing about this book is the conversations that are happening - conversations across timelines and realities; between humans and humans of questionable lifespans; between humans and humans that are inhabiting drones; between humans and humans that are inhabiting AIs, Ghost In The Shell style; and between one particular human and one particular new form of life.

I didn't read, and may not read, the companion book The Peripheral, but Agency is really about just that - agency. The agency we have in our own time to shape our present and future(s), the agency we may or may not have in our pasts or futures, and the agency that may appear elsewhere, in the blur between the bounds of our humanity and the technology that we use to shape our worlds.

While I LOVED The Peripheral, Agency has less of that dizzying shock-of-the-new feeling. However, the fact that it eases you into its world with a bit more explanation will make it more approachable for many people. It feels more like a fun cyber thriller than the strange, unnerving experiment that was The Peripheral. I love Gibson and anything he writes is worth taking a look at. As usual there is a sly sense of humor at work that not everyone will notice , and lots of uncanny prediction. I’m writing this late, so we’re already past a dust-up in the Middle East, and have entered the first pandemic... but beyond this there’s a lot of insight into our current time and its currents. Maybe if more people read Gibson we’ll have a chance at changing our course. Or maybe someone/thing like Eunice will...

This is the novel following The Peripheral. Excellent atmospheric writing. Many of the same characters, their further adventures.

Maybe, for me, not reading the first book, Peripheral, was a mistake. If I hadn’t picked up a review copy from NetGalley, it is probably a book I would have not read. Time travel isn’t my thing and I was not able to relate to the characters. I’m happy being in the minority because there are books for everyone’s interests. It was an okay read. I need to be pulled out of my reading comfort zone occasionally.

William Gibson consistently delivers science fiction that is timely, relevant, and frightening. His writing makes “what if?” feel like “what now?”

Tthe concept of the story is very interesting and kept me reading. Unfortunately I found there to be so many characters that seemed unnecessary and confusing, that I kept losing track of who they were. Speaking of confusing, this novel is advertised as a standalone, but I would definitely read the previous novel that takes place in the same universe, as this book lost me a few times. What I really took away from this book, after removing all the characters and the confusing details, is that the story really doesn't go anywhere. Looking back, it's basically a wild, confusing, goose chase, where not much of anything happens.

Okay, this book was a cool concept but had a lot of issues. First off, the chapters are so short and there are so many various characters that you never really connect to any of them. In fact I spent most of the time trying to remember who all the assorted people were and why they were important. It didn't help that many of them were returning from The Peripheral, which I read a while ago and didn't really remember much of. I don't remember this being marketed as a sequel when I first heard about it, but it definitely is and you definitely would be helped by knowing all the characters from the first book. That aside, not a lot actually happens. Most characters simply do what they're told and the ending is rather anti-climactic. So between the poorly developed cast and the sketchy plot, this book was a bit of a let down. Which is frustrating because I was so excited about the concept. Argh!

Agency is a fun Sci-Fi novel set in San Francisco. It was fun to visit familiar places with a new twist. The AI concept and strong female characters definitely rounded out Agency. The pacing was slow and the narrative dragged a bit in places for me. Give it a read, perhaps it was just my mood.

I'm glad I realized this was a sequel to The Peripheral and reread that first (having read it over four years ago, my memory would have been hazy). While the central action takes place in a new alternate past timeline (referred to in both books as a "stub"), all of The Peripheral's characters play roles: some major, some minor. So I come down firmly in the "read The Peripheral first" camp. There are now three different timelines involved (versus two in the previous novel), so things are a bit more complicated.

Things are much the same on Earth Prime, the London group who have taken an interest in the alternate time lines, although there are some fresh political developments there. In the process of introducing themselves to the new timeline we also learn more about the "jackpot" that nearly ended human civilization. The story does not spend much time in the previous alternate past (which they refer to as "the county"), but we do learn a fair amount about what happened after The Peripheral ended. And Conner plays a major role here, as his military training proves essential to the group's mission in the new timeline.

The new stub is a world on the brink of nuclear war. But the appearance of an advanced artificial intelligence named Eunice may be the key to preventing it. The problem is, the company who have released it into the wild--in the hands of "app whisperer" Verity--had no idea how powerful the technology was. So much of the action becomes Eunice and Verity trying to free themselves from the corporations's control. Eunice quickly demonstrates extraordinary abilities, but only the London group can keep Verity safe long enough for her to complete her mission. Lots of telepresence action: while there are peripherals used, the drones in Verity's world are the stars, with Conner having a blast doing superhuman things with the one he controls. The ending of this one is a bit brighter than the first, even though it does take place against the backdrop of a world in crisis.

I have a love-hate relationship with sci-fi and Gibson, but this one is definitely in the love column. Will recommend.

Verity has a knack for bleeding-edge technology and a year-long gap in employment, so she's happy enough to take a job from some shady folks to optimize the world's first AI. It's fun at first: Eunice's abilities are terrifying but her personality is sheer snarky delight. Then, both Verity's personal life and international politics destabilize. Luckily, some extremely competent folks from an alternate future feel personally responsible for getting things back on track. There is plenty of action, but Verity and her future contact Wilf are utterly passive in its midst.

I'd been avoiding rating or writing my review until closer to the release date, since I believe that with William Gibson books you should go in as cold as possible. It's not as bewildering on entry as some Gibson books, since it's a much closer sequel to The Peripheral than any book of the Blue Ant trilogy was to its predecessors. If you've read The Peripheral, you'll be familiar with at least some of the characters and concepts—which feels a bit like cheating. This is much less of a standalone than any of the Blue Ant books, too, and I'm very interested to read the next book in the confirmed trilogy. In a way this book is a kind of eulogy to a reality we missed out on, while ours in fact moves ever closer to the future that forms the past referred to as "the jackpot". The third book of the trilogy might go much darker.

The book alternates between two timelines/alternative universes/past/future, and it takes a bit for the story to get rolling. Or, more specifically, the story to feel more Gibson-esqe.

I wanted this to be darker. I wanted this to be longer. I want to know who Lowbeer is and HER world. I don't particularly care about Veritiy, and as the main character here, that's a problem. It feels that she was just there for the ride. Well literally, just there for the ride, because even she doesn't understand what she got into. But her back story? No idea. But everyone else's felt fleshed out.

It's good, but i'm disappointed in the tone, the voice, of the novel. As a what is a Post-Trump 2016 election book, there was a lot of hope. (NOT A BAD THING! just... not what i was expecting)

It's important that you have read Peripheral by Gibson first, and while Gibson shows his creativity, it's obviously a lead in to a third in a series. The plot feels incomplete, but the next book should clarify things. It feels like the great middle part of a story.

I really enjoy William Gibson, and this book was no exception. I had a bit of trouble early on with the time shifts from one half of the story to another, but I would encourage you to stick with it, because by the end of the book the future stuff is the best part!

Another great read by William Gibson! I needed a brief refresher on the characters and timeline, but once I got caught up the plot really moved along quickly. I love the characters and find different timelines fascinating. My only complaint was that I wanted to spend more time in the future timeline!

I will say off the bat that I'm a fan of Gibson's work. That said, I found this difficult to follow without knowing the world from "The Peripheral." I think that if I had read "The Peripheral" beforehand, this may have been an easier read.

Not a direct sequel to The Peripheral., but in the same narrative universe, Agency is Gibson's response to the current state of our timeline. It's ultimately an optimistic book, as I think most of his works are, placing hope in the power of good people using technology to better the world (or at least combat those with different aims). He's as smart and hip as ever. The story could be a little tighter which would make the action scenes a little more potent. But, otherwise, another gift from Gibson.

The preceding book, The Peripheral, has been a favorite recommendation since it came out in 2014. This sequel is good, though not quite as good as its predecessor. I think it suffers from two things:
In a book titled Agency, the protagonist Verity seems to have very little of it. She spends the whole book being sent from place to place.
Eunice is interesting but largely absent for large chunks of the story.

Those critiques aside, I would still recommend this book to fans of The Peripheral, and I hope there are more books in this series forthcoming.

I received an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book without having read its predecessor, The Peripheral, so my perspective is skewed as a new reader to this series. Gibson's writing is, as ever, inventive and challenging, and he succeeds at world building, particularly for the fascinating alternative future London and its inhabitants.

Unfortunately the plot of this book is weak and lacks conflict. Even though it concerns the threat of nuclear war--surely as high stakes as you can get!--there is little tension to the story. No one experiences a real challenge or ordeal. Eunice is always one step ahead of the mere mortals who try to chase down Verity, so she never seems to be in real danger. Conner pilots the drone (whose description reminds me of a bad ass R2D2, which makes me snicker a bit) and vanquishes all threats without any opposition, despite his handicap of being in another time and place. Netherton is a milquetoast who serves essentially as a stooge for Conner and the London based women who do the real heavy lifting. The ending does not feel like a resolution, probably because Gibson is just setting up the story for the next book.

Recommended for fans of Gibson's writing but not for new readers, who would be better served with the first book of a series.