Versim

by Curtis Hox

Imagine falling asleep and waking up in a different place or century and becoming a different person, maybe even a superstar. That's the job of Harken Cole. He's a top Entertainment Specialist, and his role is to immerse into rendered worlds, the new form of entertainment in the twent-sixth century. Sometimes he's the hero, sometimes the villain. He's whatever his bosses choose to boost the drama's ratings. Playing the star has made Hark a loved celebrity. But no job is perfect.

To fulfill a promise to a dead friend, Hark illegally enter a peaceful storyline set in old twenty-first century Manhattan. He quickly realizes something's not right: Hark discovers the drama may drastically change when a rogue horror director, Miesha Preston, begins inserting monsters, zombies and other abominations to destroy the peaceful narrative and its people. If Hark doesn't stop Preston, everyone immersed--including himself--will die. And dying in a rendered world means dying in real life. Saving this world is now as important as fulfilling his promise to his friend, and he will do whatever it takes to succeed--even if it means flipping his own world upside down.

Genres: Science Fiction

165 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 15, 2012

Reviews

[Tony Bertauski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Versim. Kicking ass inside universes that are inside universes.

Hox conceives of a future where technology advances the imagination to host alternate universes that spawn constructed beings that -- for all intents and purposes -- don't know they aren't real. Even further, these alternate realities aren't just for kicks but making money, baby. It's the new age of television, where viewers can watch the universes of their choice -- horror, erotica, or just plain old life in the 21st century. And for an extra fee, viewers can become riders that experience everything the players experience.

But not all players are constructs. Many are present-day humans that immerse themselves into the alternate reality to play out the drama. And that's where every day conflict begins. The line of reality is more than blurred, it's damn near non-existent. If a construct exists long enough, he/she can bleed over into flesh.

At this point, what is real?

Hox does a great job of blending commercialism with alternate realities. The plot has many players and a lot of moving parts that -- at times -- is hard to follow but it's still thrilling to come along for the ride. It sucked me into the first chapter with Hark's partial memory and I followed it all the way to the end. The ending was not as satisfying as the beginning. There's a bit of a cliffhanger but, thankfully, still an ending.

Nonetheless, as alternate realities go, this one's a winner.

[Tonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm generally leery of free kindle books, as they often lack quality. I keep downloading them, though, because, well, they're free. And every so often, I find a gem. This book is one of those. It did take me almost halfway through the book to really understand what was going on, but I liked that. Versim feels slightly similar to The Matrix (and characters do reference that film) like worlds within a world - it's all about virtual reality as a form of entertainment. But it's also more than that. I really, really enjoyed reading this book!

[Tommy Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up recently as a free ebook on Amazon. It was self-contained and I finished it quickly. The story takes place primarily 500 years in the future when we have developed immersive virtual reality and persistent virtual worlds. The main character enters a "verisimilitude" (virtual reality) program that is setup as a 21st century period soap opera and must protect a celebrity. The author does a good job of telling and showing various aspects of that reality. There were a few mysteries that could be expanded in further books in that world. I liked the twists, turns and other developments and would read more set in this universe.

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. There were some parts I had trouble reading through, as details about the richly created world are revealed in some heavy scenes. The concepts within both the real and VR worlds that Curtis creates are unique, intriguing and fun. The mystery that weaves through the book keeps the story moving well and the characters are also enjoyable and well created.

[Mscout · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read, good premise, but just got a bit muddled...