First published 2024
Miles works as a lead creative at a virtual reality company, designing what the company calls "original experiences." His latest creation, The Ghost Lover, becomes wildly popular. Players live simulated lives nearly identical to their real ones, except they're visited by the ghost of a former romantic partner. When company leadership shifts direction, The Ghost Lover sparks controversy across the platform. Users turn their anger on Miles personally. Anonymous death threats start arriving at his home, typed notes in envelopes with no stamps or return addresses. The persistent threats send Miles into paranoid panic. His grip on reality begins to slip. His career crumbles. His marriage falls apart. His relationship with his children deteriorates. Desperate to save his job, Miles pitches a new device he calls the Egg, hoping it will transform the company. The consequences trap Miles within the walls of his own life as his anxiety transforms into something far more devastating.
Genres: fiction, science-fiction, contemporary, psychological-thriller, virtual-reality
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: paranoia, unreliable-narrator
288 pages · Paperback · Soft Skull
Content warnings: anxiety, depression, mental-illness