One of the best books I've read for a while -- kept my interest ll the way through and (for a change) had a satisfying ending.
Great physics and scifi
From Publishers Weekly
While some may find the latest work from Prometheus Award winner Hogan to be a bit preachy, those who enjoy stories with a moral will find this near-future parable denouncing greed hard to resist. A rising star in the field of computer simulation, Joe Corrigan is promoted to direct a top-secret project, an entire computerized reality. When corporate rivals plot his downfall, Joe finds his situation abruptly changed from cocky software engineer to desperate prisoner. Trapped in a software world of his own making, Joe must regain control of the computer to save himself and other "volunteer' subjects. Whether dealing with the real or the pixel-filled world, Hogan (Multiplex Man) is an entertaining storyteller who has a fine talent for creating sympathetic characters. Entrapment in virtual reality is not a new idea, but creative twists and a vividly descriptive narrative emphasize original handling of the subject. Realistically illustrating a dangerous combination of computer research, corporate politics, market pressure and personal ambition, the author delivers a frighteningly believable scenario of science gone awry.
From Library Journal
An ambitious experiment in virtual reality collapses, leaving project director Joe Corrigan in the lurch with a failed marriage and severe psychological problems. When his attempts to rebuild his life result in continual frustration at being unable to fit into his surroundings, Corrigan begins to suspect that his problems lie not with himself but with the world of his perceptions, a world that just might not be the "real world." Hogan's (The Multiplex Man, Bantam, 1994) grasp of the technology behind virtural reality lends immediacy and credibility to this suspenseful tale of paranoia and politics on the cutting edge of science.
While some may find the latest work from Prometheus Award winner Hogan to be a bit preachy, those who enjoy stories with a moral will find this near-future parable denouncing greed hard to resist. A rising star in the field of computer simulation, Joe Corrigan is promoted to direct a top-secret project, an entire computerized reality. When corporate rivals plot his downfall, Joe finds his situation abruptly changed from cocky software engineer to desperate prisoner. Trapped in a software world of his own making, Joe must regain control of the computer to save himself and other "volunteer' subjects. Whether dealing with the real or the pixel-filled world, Hogan (Multiplex Man) is an entertaining storyteller who has a fine talent for creating sympathetic characters. Entrapment in virtual reality is not a new idea, but creative twists and a vividly descriptive narrative emphasize original handling of the subject. Realistically illustrating a dangerous combination of computer research, corporate politics, market pressure and personal ambition, the author delivers a frighteningly believable scenario of science gone awry.
From Library Journal
An ambitious experiment in virtual reality collapses, leaving project director Joe Corrigan in the lurch with a failed marriage and severe psychological problems. When his attempts to rebuild his life result in continual frustration at being unable to fit into his surroundings, Corrigan begins to suspect that his problems lie not with himself but with the world of his perceptions, a world that just might not be the "real world." Hogan's (The Multiplex Man, Bantam, 1994) grasp of the technology behind virtural reality lends immediacy and credibility to this suspenseful tale of paranoia and politics on the cutting edge of science.
wanted to read it but never did
I've read other Hogan books and enjoyed them. But I could have gone through life without reading this one and never regretted it.
