The Gernsback Continuum

by William Gibson

“The Gernsback Continuum” by William Gibson, in Universe 11, edited by Terry Carr (Doubleday, June 1981).

Tomorrow Calling

written and directed by Tim Leandro

The screenwriter and director, Tim Leandro, writes: “Bill, a photographer, is trapped in an alternative now as imagined in the past, in this adaptation of William Gibson’s short story, ‘The Gernsback Continuum’.” A great concept, but an alternate universe rather than time travel.

— Michael Main

Think of it as a giant theme park, a series of elaborate props for playing at living in the future.

Tomorrow Calling written and directed by Tim Leandro (British Film Festival, Early October 1993).

The Peripheral, Season 1

by Scott B. Smith, et al., directed by Vincenzo Natali and Alrick Riley

When Flynne Fisher’s ne’er-do-well brother lands a lucrative gig testing new VR tech, he drafts Flynne to do the heavy lifting, and she’s bowled over by the future world the VR has created—until she realizes it’s more than a sim.

— Michael Main

If it were time travel, as you say, you’d be here physically. This is merely a matter of data transfer: quantum tunneling is the technical term for it. I understand your confusion.

The Peripheral, Season 1 by Scott B. Smith, et al., directed by Vincenzo Natali and Alrick Riley, 8 episodes (Amazon Prime, 21 October 2022 to 2 December 2022).

William Gibson

writer