Booksmith presents visionary novelist William Gibson reading from the
sharply imagined sequel to his New York Times bestselling novel The
Peripheral. He will also be in conversation with Mother Jones
editor-in-chief, Clara Jefferey. Verity Jane, gifted app-whisperer,
has been out of work since her exit from a brief but problematic
relationship with a Silicon Valley billionaire. Then she signs the
wordy NDA of a dodgy San Francisco start-up, becoming the beta tester
for their latest product: a digital assistant, accessed through a pair
of ordinary-looking glasses. "Eunice," the disarmingly human AI in the
glasses, soon manifests a face, a fragmentary past, and an unnervingly
canny grasp of combat strategy. Verity, realizing that her cryptic new
employers don't yet know this, instinctively decides that it's best
they don't. Meanwhile, a century ahead, in London, in a different
timeline entirely, Wilf Netherton works amid plutocrats and
plunderers, survivors of the slow and steady apocalypse known as the
jackpot. His employer, the enigmatic Ainsley Lowbeer, can look into
alternate pasts and nudge their ultimate directions. Verity and Eunice
have become her current project. Wilf can see what Verity and Eunice
can't: their own version of the jackpot, just around the corner. And
something else too: the roles they both may play in it. ------ William
Gibson, debuting with the powerfully influential Neuromancer, both
coined the term cyberspace and introduced it to fiction. Neuromancer
was the first novel to receive the Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick
awards in one year. Gibson continued his career with numerous
acclaimed and New York Times bestselling books including Count Zero,
Burning Chrome, Mona Lisa Overdrive, Virtual Light, Idoru, All
Tomorrows Parties, Pattern Recognition, Spook Country, Zero History,
and Distrust That Particular Flavor. Gibson lives in Vancouver,
British Columbia with his wife. You can find more information about
William Gibson and his novels online at williamgibsonbooks.com. Clara
Jeffery is the editor-in-chief of Mother Jones, which was named
Magazine of the Year by the American Society of Magazine Editors in
February 2017. During her tenure, Mother Jones has won other National
Magazine Awards, including for general excellence, reporting, and
video; redesigned its magazine and website; established bureaus in
Washington and New York; and become a social-media powerhouse. Clara
has edited stories that have been included in pretty much every Best
American anthology. Along the way, she also won a PEN award for
editing, became a mom, and forgot what its like to sleep. It probably
doesnt help shes on Twitter so much: @clarajeffery. ------ Please
note: >> Doors open at 6:00 -- come early and have a drink or two! >>
The duration of this event is up to Mr. Gibson. >> This event is 21+.
No exceptions. >> Signing details to be announced soon. >> Tickets are
non-refundable and non-transferable. 20 - 53 USD
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24/01/2020 Last update