published on: 08 January 2018 author: taran matharu
with steven spielberg’s ready player one movie on the way and new genres emerging like gamelit, it’s clear that game-inspired and VR-themed books are on the rise.
You are reading: Books about virtual reality
If your child loves video games, they’re sure to love some of the brilliant books below, all set in worlds full of gaming rules and virtual reality (VR).
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ready player one by ernest cline
ready player one quickly achieved cult status after its release in 2011, with a spielberg movie planned for early 2018.
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The novel tells the story of a futuristic dystopia in which an economic crisis has led the majority of the population to retreat to the oasis, an all-encompassing virtual reality game that has become the main pastime and economic resource of the world. When the oasis’s founder dies, he leaves his fortune to whoever can solve a series of clues based on his passion for 1980s pop culture. Soon, players all over the world become obsessed with finding the mysterious “egg” hidden within the oasis. game.
After several years, teenager Wade Watts cracks the first clue and becomes the favorite to win, but is soon forced to flee when nefarious corporations close in on him, eager for the prize. In a race against time, Wade and his friends must complete the mission before their pursuers catch up.
2.waking up online: catharsis by travis bagwell
Self-published in 2016, the waken online series went viral almost immediately and achieved huge success within months of its arrival. Bagwell’s book is perhaps the best-written example yet of the emerging genre known as gamelit or litrpg, where game mechanics are a key feature of a story.
waken online tells the story of jason, a teenager who is terribly bullied by alex, the golden boy of his high school and the son of a rich businessman who works at the world’s largest game company.
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When Alex attacks Jason and gets him kicked out of school at the same time, Jason turns to Wake Online, a newly released video game, to calm his frustrations. There, he learns that Alex has become one of the best players in the game, in part due to his father’s involvement in the project.
jason decides to choose the necromancer class, which allows him to create zombies to do his bidding. As the story progresses, Jason must use clever strategies to level up his character and become powerful enough to challenge Alex. What follows is a fast-paced, action-packed story full of twists and turns on the way to Jason’s final confrontation with Alex.
3. cross of war of marie lu
Written by number one new york times bestseller marie lu, warcross tells the story of online bounty hunter emika chen who accidentally gets into the world famous warcross championships and becomes instantly a celebrity.
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The teenager is immediately hired by the mysterious founder of warcross, billionaire hideo tanaka, to spy on tournament players, suspecting something dirty. Soon, Emika uncovers a sinister plot that could change the world as he knows it.
warcross sits firmly in the genre already, with a diverse cast of characters, well-written prose, and a plot full of twists. For those who are more casual gamers, this novel may be the perfect introduction to VR-based novels.
4. snow crash by neal stephenson
snow crash was released in 1992, which makes its futuristic setting and virtual reality take even more incredible. it is considered a classic in the cyberpunk genre and was named one of the 100 best English-language novels of the time.
The protagonist, ironically called Hiro Protagonist, lives in a dystopian future, working as a pizza delivery boy during the day and playing as a warrior prince at night. Spending most of his spare time in the virtual alternate reality known as the Metaverse, Hiro discovers a new computer virus that has somehow begun to infect humans themselves. With the end of the world approaching, Hiro must team up with a cheeky skateboarding courier, Y.T., to defeat the insidious virtual villain that threatens to bring about the infocalypse.
5. another world by jason segel and kirsten miller
jason segel (of fame for his role on the tv sitcom how i met your mother) and his co-writer kirsten miller often write books for young children, but their first novel is one based on virtual reality . , a story in the style of a black mirror that is taking the genre by storm. otherworld is a full immersion alternate reality where not everything is as it seems.
Something strange is happening in this new world, and Simon is hell-bent on finding out what it is. the company that created the game has sinister plans, which could involve them taking over the world. Full of twists and turns, this novel is as much a warning about the dangers of technology as it is a celebration of its potential: a difficult feat, but one that Segel and Miller pull off.
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