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The Peripheral

William Gibson

The Peripheral

William Gibson

  • 59-page comprehensive Study Guide
  • Chapter-by-chapter summaries and multiple sections of expert analysis
  • The ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons, and lively book discussions

The Peripheral Chapters 1-15 Summary & Analysis

Chapter 1 Summary: “The Haptics”

The opening chapter introduces Flynne Fisher and her veteran brother Burton. Flynne is visiting Burton at his home, a 1977 Airstream trailer, the inside of which Burton has embalmed in a polymer that covers over everything. We learn that Burton is a former Marine and a haptic. Burton asks Flynne to sub in for him working security in a video game, a job that he has been working on the side.

Chapter 2 Summary: “Death Cookie”

The narrative shifts to the novel’s second plot line as it introduces a hungover Wilf Netherton, who is visited by Rainey’s sigil. Rainey is Wilf’s boss, and the sigil is a kind of video feed that appears before Netherton. Rainey presses Netherton about his interactions with a woman named Daedra West. Both Rainey and Netherton are publicists, and West is one of their clients. Netherton had been involved in a sexual relationship with Daedra, a fact that Rainey clearly sees as a violation. While the text does not explicitly say the year, it is assumed that this plotline takes place in the distant future.

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