Extropia: Mind Game by Robin Bootle
Series: Extropia #1
Published by: Troubador Publishing Ltd on March 2, 2017
Pages: 320
Source: Advanced Reader’s Copy from NetGalley
Genre: Virtual Reality, Science Fiction, Teen
”An act of sabotage leaves Edward’s father trapped inside a virtual reality game, Extropia. In a desperate bid to save him, Edward follows, entering a world he knows he might never leave. A world of artificially intelligent beings, subjected to a life of misery and fear in the name of entertainment. Now one of them has learned of the real world, and is determined to have his revenge…” (Source: Goodreads)
My Thoughts: Outside of reading, one of my favorite hobbies is playing video games, especially open-world adventures like Skyrim and Fallout. In addition, virtual reality play such as the Sword Art Online series are extremely interesting to me. If you’re at all interested in these things, you will fall in love with Extropia: Mind Game.
This novel doesn’t stay in one place for very long as our main character, Edward, traverses the unbelievably realistic world of Extropia, a science fiction virtual reality video game created by his missing father and brother. Why is he so emotionally invested in the characters presented to him? Why does the world affect him as if it’s real? I found that Robin Bootle’s experience with role-playing video games helped portray the main character as a gamer, someone experienced in how leveling and game progression worked. There were no questions on my end that were not answered throughout the story.
Even if you’re not a fan of video games, this story has a lot to offer. The world of Extropia is full of political strife and feuding powers. Edward must decide if the very real possibility of death and dismemberment is worth risking for virtual reality characters. Can he really make a difference in the trek he makes through this danger-ridden world, or is he just following pre-determined steps in a quest that was meant for every other player of the game? Can you really grow to have emotional bonds with synthetic characters in a video game? And if so, how far will you go for those that you bond with?
No comments:
Post a Comment