by Jason Segel
First published 2019
Simon has rescued his best friend Kat from Otherworld, the Company's deadly virtual reality game, but their escape comes with consequences. Now Simon, Kat, and their ally Busara are fugitives. They possess dangerous knowledge about the Company's hidden agenda, the real harm caused by their VR technology, and the role of Kat's stepfather in the conspiracy. The trio travels to New Mexico seeking Simon's former roommate, a brilliant programmer who might be their only hope. They need his help to expose the Company's plans before the corporation destroys the boundary between virtual worlds and actual life. The Company has created technology that lets people abandon reality for their deepest fantasies. That technology is already here, and its implications terrify anyone who understands what it means.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, technology, 21st-century, artificial-intelligence, alternate-universe
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: corporate-conspiracy, found-family, high-stakes
Setting: New Mexico
Period: 21st-century
336 pages · Paperback · Ember