Users

October 17, 2022
Winnette (The Job of the Wasp) delivers an engaging story of a virtual reality designer stuck in a rut. Miles’s career founders as he casts about for a new product for his Chicago startup that rivals his signature augmented reality experience, “The Ghost Lover,” where virtual reality players are haunted by an ephemeral lover personalized to their own experience. Meanwhile, his home life presents its own challenges; his marriage is struggling, and his 10-year-old daughter plays increasingly violent games with her younger sister. Perhaps most troubling, Miles acquires a “ghost lover” of his own, and he’s receiving cryptic, anonymous death threats. The author convincingly portrays Miles’s claustrophobic interior, where the protagonist is held captive by virtual simulacra. After a vacation with his family rekindles Miles’s creativity, he plunges full speed into the creation of the “Egg,” a virtual-reality pod that encases the user’s body. Though a commercial and professional success, the Egg accelerates the dissolution of Miles’s family, and brings him ever closer to the source of his elusive threats. Despite a rushed final act, the author offers a vertiginous glimpse down a tech rabbit hole. In Winnette’s hands, the dangerous blur between the virtual and reality provides both a warning and a thrill. Agent: Kevin O’Connor, O’Connor Literary Agency.

June 10, 2024

Winnette (The Job of the Wasp) crafts an edgy, unnerving cyberpunk science fiction with a thought-provoking and intricate plot. Miles is a virtual reality visionary whose most successful creation is now the subject of scandal. Tasked with turning out a new idea that will allay the accusations and outrage of their users, Miles envisions the Egg, an innovative and fully immersive experience that will take user-generated content and collaboration to another level. Ignoring death threats, a failing marriage, and alarming behavior from his children, Miles imagines that the Egg is the answer to all of his problems. His attempts at escapism, however, lead him down an increasingly tortuous path that leaves him wondering who is responsible for the disconcerting content: the users or his own psyche? Narrator Justin Price's sedate delivery highlights Miles's detachment from his disturbing reality. The placid performance creates an atmosphere of anxiety as it contrasts with the compelling frustrations and fears of this fast-paced narrative. VERDICT This audio will appeal to listeners seeking a suspenseful dystopian sci-fi that examines the tenuous relationship between technology and truth. Recommended for fans of Dave Eggers and Blake Crouch.--Lauren Hackert

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