BOOK: Infinite Reality (2017)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Infinite RealityYear: 2017Author: Peter MeredithLength: 410 pages I picked up this book because I saw the awesome cover that its sequel had and I didn't want to just jump into the middle of a series. Having never read any LitRPG before, this was my first exposure to the genre. Unfortunately, there were a lot of issues with this book—and not just the standard formatting issues and plentiful typos. Having talked with the author about this series many years ago, he made it clear that he was chasing the LitRPG trend at the time, and it shows. Conceptually, Infinite Reality is that same "straight white guy power fantasy" but with actual fantasy. The main character is some tough guy working for the FBI and the only way to solve his case is to enter a virtual reality world and continue investigating there. This was the first implausible fault, but not the last. Like, if a Christian woman says she doesn't feel comfortable playing...
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BOOK: Zero-G (2016)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Zero-G Year: 2016 Author: William Shatner Length: 353 pages ***THIS BOOK WAS RECEIVED FROM A GOODREADS GIVEAWAY*** William Shatner, best known for his acting in the popular sci-fi series, Star Trek, is not someone who I thought would also be a writer. Of course, after reading Zero-G, I’m still not convinced, even with the help of ghostwriter Jeff Rovin. The book had an interesting premise, but the exposition and plot were so slow and clunky that it was hard to get into it. I will say there is an appreciation of the challenges of space in this book, but it almost plays a backseat to an aged government official trying to relive his glory days (sound familiar?). If I were to re-write this book, it would have been considerably shorter, possibly even a short story. As it is, the first third of the book is almost useless, filled with detailed explanations of the characters’ backgrounds and relationships. Even the first action sequence only emphasized that the...
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