Post by The Strategist on Aug 22, 2009 16:59:58 GMT -5
Conor Kostick was a designer for the world's first live action role-playing game, Treasure Trap. He is the author of many historical, political and cultural articles. Epic was his first novel, which was followed by its direct sequel, Saga. He is the author of other books, but this series is what truly caught my attention.
I apologize in advance if I have spoiled the experience of reading these books in advance. A brief overview of the plot follows.
Set in the future in a distant planet which a handful of human beings escaped to in order to survive an Earth irreversibly made uninhabitable through relentless wars.
Some time after settlement was established, violence was outlawed and disputed were settled through a virtual world not unlike that of World of Warcraft, with magic and sorcery as well as swords and shields. The planet's inhabitants are controlled and decisions are made through duels in the virtual world's (Epic) arena, where winner takes all and loser dies permanently, ending up having to create a new character from scratch.
A young boy, sick and tired of this system, starts taking greater and controversial risks which stirs up the world's societies. First, he creates a female character, makes her a Pirate (in a game where people preferred well-established classes such as warriors, mages and healers), then placed all attribute points on appearance, neglecting all "useful" attributes such as strength and stamina. He then sets a plan in motion that would ultimately lead to a direct in-game confrontation with those who run the system, and their broken overpowered characters.
The second book, Saga, takes off an indefinite time after the end of the first, where a new game is introduced (Saga) which is more advanced than the first. It was the final game designed on Earth, and having been active for 500 years or more has evolved to produce sentient entities that are unaware they exist in a game. They come to confront the pirate girl from the first book as a plan devised by the sentient Dark Queen of Saga unfolds to finish the job that started on Earth.
I think of myself as an avid reader, but I have never felt a sense of existential and philosophical vertigo as I have while reading his books.
For anyone who enjoys video games, technology, philosophy, magic and/or conspiracy, this is the package for you.
I apologize in advance if I have spoiled the experience of reading these books in advance. A brief overview of the plot follows.
Set in the future in a distant planet which a handful of human beings escaped to in order to survive an Earth irreversibly made uninhabitable through relentless wars.
Some time after settlement was established, violence was outlawed and disputed were settled through a virtual world not unlike that of World of Warcraft, with magic and sorcery as well as swords and shields. The planet's inhabitants are controlled and decisions are made through duels in the virtual world's (Epic) arena, where winner takes all and loser dies permanently, ending up having to create a new character from scratch.
A young boy, sick and tired of this system, starts taking greater and controversial risks which stirs up the world's societies. First, he creates a female character, makes her a Pirate (in a game where people preferred well-established classes such as warriors, mages and healers), then placed all attribute points on appearance, neglecting all "useful" attributes such as strength and stamina. He then sets a plan in motion that would ultimately lead to a direct in-game confrontation with those who run the system, and their broken overpowered characters.
The second book, Saga, takes off an indefinite time after the end of the first, where a new game is introduced (Saga) which is more advanced than the first. It was the final game designed on Earth, and having been active for 500 years or more has evolved to produce sentient entities that are unaware they exist in a game. They come to confront the pirate girl from the first book as a plan devised by the sentient Dark Queen of Saga unfolds to finish the job that started on Earth.
I think of myself as an avid reader, but I have never felt a sense of existential and philosophical vertigo as I have while reading his books.
For anyone who enjoys video games, technology, philosophy, magic and/or conspiracy, this is the package for you.