Any good novels about Virtual Reality?

Kasper Hviid · 11-01-2016, 06:57 PM

I have read a few books in the series 'The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor'.
It's an entertaining read. The story mostly takes place inside a RPG to which the main character has dedicated himself in order to (hopefully) score a lot of money for his family. It is somewhat realistic, and has some more down-to-earth approach to VR as compared to the cyberspace-thingies in cyberpunk lit.

On the downside the books are a bit too cozy with lots of wish fulfilment, and the fan translation is sloppy at times. But its entertaining and with a few clever thoughts about VR.

... and that is all I got. So, any other VR recommendations?

ratinox · 11-01-2016, 11:02 PM

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

Pajamaman · 11-01-2016, 11:55 PM

The classic William Gibson. Count Zero and Necromancer.

kacir · 11-02-2016, 02:54 AM

Tad Willians, Otherland

darryl · 11-02-2016, 03:21 AM

I second Ready Player One.

GeoffR · 11-02-2016, 04:13 AM

Greg Egan gets quite deep into virtual reality and subjects such as artificial life, uploaded conciousness, etc. I'd recommend the novels Zendegi and especially Permutation City. There are also some short stories available free online from the author's website, e.g Wang's Carpets.

Edit: One I didn't enjoy as much (but others might) and has interesting ideas around augmented reality is Vernor Vinge's Rainbows End.

crossi · 11-02-2016, 05:41 AM

Dream Park by Niven & Barnes, maybe not exactly virtual reality but close

Kasper Hviid · 11-03-2016, 10:10 AM

Thanks, great suggestions!

Never read William Gibson, but isn't his VR a bit dated today? My gut feeling is that his VR visions were some kinda neon-colored wonderland for hackers and geeks.

I have been eying 'Ready Player One' a lot of times, but after that Gamergate thing, I was a bit put off by Gamer nostalgia, due to its inherient reactionary streak. I might get into it now!

Not a book, but the Black Mirror episode 'Playtest' deals with VR! (I need to pull myself together and watch the new season - but that show is always soo depressive, like cyberpunk 2.0)

crich70 · 11-03-2016, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kasper Hviid

Thanks, great suggestions!

Never read William Gibson, but isn't his VR a bit dated today? My gut feeling is that his VR visions were some kinda neon-colored wonderland for hackers and geeks.

I have been eying 'Ready Player One' a lot of times, but after that Gamergate thing, I was a bit put off by Gamer nostalgia, due to its inherient reactionary streak. I might get into it now!

Not a book, but the Black Mirror episode 'Playtest' deals with VR! (I need to pull myself together and watch the new season - but that show is always soo depressive, like cyberpunk 2.0)

There is at least one movie that I can think of that deals with it too.
"The 13th Floor." And there was the small mini-series "Wild Palms." Also the movie "Virtuosity" takes place in part in such a world if I recall correctly.

ratinox · 11-03-2016, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kasper Hviid

Thanks, great suggestions!

Never read William Gibson, but isn't his VR a bit dated today? My gut feeling is that his VR visions were some kinda neon-colored wonderland for hackers and geeks.

Gibson's cyberspace was whatever conveyed the story he was trying to tell and set the mood he was trying to evoke. "The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel." He readily admitted that he knew practically nothing about computers and computer networks when he wrote his early stories. But then, his work, like that of his contemporaries, wasn't about the technology but the kind of urban shellshock that arises from technology advancing faster than people can keep up.

ObRecommendation: Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. Another story in which a virtual reality world has a significant purpose.

fantasyISbetter · 11-03-2016, 04:46 PM

Try Old Twentieth by Joe Haldeman, The Circuit of Heaven by Dennis Danvers for novels where virtual reality is not just entertainment.

curtw · 11-03-2016, 05:28 PM

I would downvote Ready Player One, upvote Neuromancer and Snowcrash, and add Philip K. Dick's Time Out of Joint, which isn't technically virtual reality, but is "artificial reality," a concept borrowed by the film "The Truman Show" and the aforementioned Dream Park and its sequel.

Oh, and also the John Carpenter classic, "They Live."

Dazrin · 11-03-2016, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curtw

I would downvote Ready Player One, upvote Neuromancer and Snowcrash...

And I am completely the opposite.

Penforhire · 11-04-2016, 02:12 PM

Some good suggestions made already. How about Charlie Stross' Glasshouse and Vernor Vinge's 'The Cookie Monster' (novella) and 'True Names?"

Kasper Hviid · 11-05-2016, 10:03 AM

Outside of my fiction reading, I just dived into 'Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming' which deals with a concept closely related to VR. I remember reading that VR use should hightens the chance of lucid dreaming.

Just to recap:

NAM-HI-SUNG: The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor (massive series about VR RPG gaming)
ERNEST CLINE: Ready Player One
WILLIAM GIBSON: Count Zero
WILLIAM GIBSON: Necromancer
TAD WILLIANS: Otherland
GREG EGAN: Zendegi
GREG EGAN: Permutation City
GREG EGAN: Various free short stories from his website, like Wang's Carpets
VERNOR VINGE: Rainbows End (might suck, but got interesting ideas about AR)
VERNOR VINGE: The Cookie Monster (novella)
VERNOR VINGE: True Names (novella)
NIVEN & BARNES: Dream Park (maybe not exactly virtual reality but close)
NEAL STEPHENSON: Snow Crash (Another story in which a virtual reality world has a significant purpose)
JOE HALDEMAN: Old Twentieth (novel where virtual reality is not just entertainment.)
DENNIS DANVERS: The Circuit of Heaven (novel where virtual reality is not just entertainment.)
PHILIP K. DICK: Time Out of Joint (isn't technically virtual reality, but is "artificial reality," a concept borrowed by the film "The Truman Show")
CHARLIE STROSS: Glasshouse

11-01-2016, 06:57 PM	#1
Kasper Hviid Zealot Posts: 141 Karma: 2784614 Join Date: Nov 2012 Device: none	Any good novels about Virtual Reality? I have read a few books in the series 'The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor'. It's an entertaining read. The story mostly takes place inside a RPG to which the main character has dedicated himself in order to (hopefully) score a lot of money for his family. It is somewhat realistic, and has some more down-to-earth approach to VR as compared to the cyberspace-thingies in cyberpunk lit. On the downside the books are a bit too cozy with lots of wish fulfilment, and the fan translation is sloppy at times. But its entertaining and with a few clever thoughts about VR. ... and that is all I got. So, any other VR recommendations?

11-02-2016, 04:13 AM	#6
GeoffR Wizard Posts: 3,821 Karma: 19162882 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Te Riu-a-Māui Device: Kobo Glo	Greg Egan gets quite deep into virtual reality and subjects such as artificial life, uploaded conciousness, etc. I'd recommend the novels Zendegi and especially Permutation City. There are also some short stories available free online from the author's website, e.g Wang's Carpets. Edit: One I didn't enjoy as much (but others might) and has interesting ideas around augmented reality is Vernor Vinge's Rainbows End. Last edited by GeoffR; 11-02-2016 at 04:41 AM. Reason: Verbor Vinge's 'Rainbows End'

11-03-2016, 05:28 PM	#12
curtw Outside of a dog Posts: 877 Karma: 4457646 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Houston, TX Device: Kindle Voyage	I would downvote Ready Player One, upvote Neuromancer and Snowcrash, and add Philip K. Dick's Time Out of Joint, which isn't technically virtual reality, but is "artificial reality," a concept borrowed by the film "The Truman Show" and the aforementioned Dream Park and its sequel. Oh, and also the John Carpenter classic, "They Live." Last edited by curtw; 11-03-2016 at 05:34 PM.

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11-01-2016, 11:02 PM	#2
ratinox Guru Posts: 822 Karma: 11053908 Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Somewhere in Time Device: Forma, iPad Mini	Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

11-01-2016, 11:55 PM	#3
Pajamaman Wizard Posts: 2,874 Karma: 10700629 Join Date: May 2016 Location: Canada Device: Onyx Nova	The classic William Gibson. Count Zero and Necromancer.

11-02-2016, 02:54 AM	#4
kacir Wizard Posts: 3,465 Karma: 10684861 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PocketBook 360, before it was Sony Reader, cassiopeia A-20	Tad Willians, Otherland

11-02-2016, 03:21 AM	#5
darryl Wizard Posts: 3,108 Karma: 60231510 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura H2O, Kindle Oasis, Huwei Ascend Mate 7	I second Ready Player One.

11-02-2016, 05:41 AM	#7
crossi Guru Posts: 997 Karma: 12000001 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Seattle Wahington U.S. Device: kindle	Dream Park by Niven & Barnes, maybe not exactly virtual reality but close

11-03-2016, 10:10 AM	#8
Kasper Hviid Zealot Posts: 141 Karma: 2784614 Join Date: Nov 2012 Device: none	Thanks, great suggestions! Never read William Gibson, but isn't his VR a bit dated today? My gut feeling is that his VR visions were some kinda neon-colored wonderland for hackers and geeks. I have been eying 'Ready Player One' a lot of times, but after that Gamergate thing, I was a bit put off by Gamer nostalgia, due to its inherient reactionary streak. I might get into it now! Not a book, but the Black Mirror episode 'Playtest' deals with VR! (I need to pull myself together and watch the new season - but that show is always soo depressive, like cyberpunk 2.0)

11-03-2016, 04:46 PM	#11
fantasyISbetter FantasyisBetter Posts: 67 Karma: 1221124 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: none	Try Old Twentieth by Joe Haldeman, The Circuit of Heaven by Dennis Danvers for novels where virtual reality is not just entertainment.

11-04-2016, 02:12 PM	#14
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	Some good suggestions made already. How about Charlie Stross' Glasshouse and Vernor Vinge's 'The Cookie Monster' (novella) and 'True Names?"

11-05-2016, 10:03 AM	#15
Kasper Hviid Zealot Posts: 141 Karma: 2784614 Join Date: Nov 2012 Device: none	Outside of my fiction reading, I just dived into 'Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming' which deals with a concept closely related to VR. I remember reading that VR use should hightens the chance of lucid dreaming. Just to recap: NAM-HI-SUNG: The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor (massive series about VR RPG gaming) ERNEST CLINE: Ready Player One WILLIAM GIBSON: Count Zero WILLIAM GIBSON: Necromancer TAD WILLIANS: Otherland GREG EGAN: Zendegi GREG EGAN: Permutation City GREG EGAN: Various free short stories from his website, like Wang's Carpets VERNOR VINGE: Rainbows End (might suck, but got interesting ideas about AR) VERNOR VINGE: The Cookie Monster (novella) VERNOR VINGE: True Names (novella) NIVEN & BARNES: Dream Park (maybe not exactly virtual reality but close) NEAL STEPHENSON: Snow Crash (Another story in which a virtual reality world has a significant purpose) JOE HALDEMAN: Old Twentieth (novel where virtual reality is not just entertainment.) DENNIS DANVERS: The Circuit of Heaven (novel where virtual reality is not just entertainment.) PHILIP K. DICK: Time Out of Joint (isn't technically virtual reality, but is "artificial reality," a concept borrowed by the film "The Truman Show") CHARLIE STROSS: Glasshouse