The PeripheralĀ is set in two distinct futures, where the 22nd century group causes and then works to fix problems in the 2030s, leading to a lot of communication between timelines.Ā In the early 22nd century, after the Jackpot, a period of climate change so extreme that 80% of all humans died, a group of characters in London (Netherton, Lowbeer and others)Ā use new technology that allows them to access and interact with the past. However, contact with the past causes that timelineĀ to branch off into a "stub", so once contacted, the future of the stub will not be the same as the early 22nd century.Ā
There is significantly less machine vision inĀ The PeripheralĀ than in its sequel,Ā Agency, which was published six years later. The Viz eye pieces are the only very obvious machine vision technology mentioned.Ā