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Innerscape #1
Miira
In 2101, the average life expectancy is one hundred and ten. Miira Tahn, last Lady of Dhurai, is dying at just fifty-two. Faced with a slow, agonizing death, her only hope is Innerscape, a virtual paradise in which the Residents inhabit beautiful, digital bodies indistinguishable from the real thing.
Or so the brochures say. But even Eden had a snake, and once inducted, the Residents of Innerscape can never again return to the real world. If anything goes wrong, they’ll be lost in the dark forever.
Yet for Miira Tahn, even a tenuous hope is better than the fate that awaits her.
‘...sometimes you just have to close your eyes and jump...'
‘Miira’ is the first book of the Innerscape cyle and corresponds to Episode 1 of the original series.
Or so the brochures say. But even Eden had a snake, and once inducted, the Residents of Innerscape can never again return to the real world. If anything goes wrong, they’ll be lost in the dark forever.
Yet for Miira Tahn, even a tenuous hope is better than the fate that awaits her.
‘...sometimes you just have to close your eyes and jump...'
‘Miira’ is the first book of the Innerscape cyle and corresponds to Episode 1 of the original series.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2017
About the author
A.C. Flory
14 books15 followersPlease call me Meeks! And welcome to my new, abbreviated bio!
I'm female, 60, Australian and a sci-fi writer. I have one daughter and far too many pets.
When I'm not reading or writing sci-fi, I play video games and MMOs. The name Meeks comes from the first MMO I ever played - Final Fantasy XI. I like to think I'm not... conventional. :)
I'm female, 60, Australian and a sci-fi writer. I have one daughter and far too many pets.
When I'm not reading or writing sci-fi, I play video games and MMOs. The name Meeks comes from the first MMO I ever played - Final Fantasy XI. I like to think I'm not... conventional. :)
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 3, 2018
This elegantly written, sensory-evoking science fiction novel is another gem in the indie world.
Set in 2101, a dying woman chooses to enter Innerscape, a virtual world where she can live her life pain-free and without restrictions, or at least that's the hope.
With a likable protagonist we get to know intimately from skillful bits of exposition and backstory, book 1 of Innerscape was a joy to get lost in. Furthermore, it is not so "techie" that non-sci-fi readers like myself can't understand it. Not only is it a page-turner, it's a wonderful balance of storytelling, world-building, and inviting prose.
Set in 2101, a dying woman chooses to enter Innerscape, a virtual world where she can live her life pain-free and without restrictions, or at least that's the hope.
With a likable protagonist we get to know intimately from skillful bits of exposition and backstory, book 1 of Innerscape was a joy to get lost in. Furthermore, it is not so "techie" that non-sci-fi readers like myself can't understand it. Not only is it a page-turner, it's a wonderful balance of storytelling, world-building, and inviting prose.
January 4, 2018
What a beautifully written book. Innerscape is a science fiction story about a middle-aged woman Miira whose disease-ravaged body is dying. She decides to enter Innerscape where her body will be pared down to her essential components and preserved while she lives out her life in a virtual world as a younger, healthy version of herself.
The first book in the series covers two aspects of her immersion in Innerscape – first, the preparation of her new body and the tests to prepare for her transition, and second, the transition into the VR world and her orientation. As a series, the story continues beyond the initial book, and Flory hooks the reader with the introduction of several challenging characters, corporate compromises, questionable ethics, and love.
The science is detailed and utterly entrancing, as well as completely understandable to the layperson. The premise and technology also seem entirely plausible, if not now, then in the not-so-distant future. Flory’s writing is meticulous and detailed, and the world she’s created held my fascination throughout.
And all that wasn’t even the best part! Set against the scientific backdrop, is an engrossing human story. Miira is reserved, sensitive, inquisitive, and vulnerable, a beautifully rendered human being undergoing a process that requires complete trust and a step into the unknown. The story is told primarily in her point of view and the immersion in her experience is complete. The Innerscape staff that supports her are multidimensional and believably flawed characters.
The pace is steady and yet I flew through the book because I could NOT put it down. Exquisite writing, gorgeous descriptions, high tech science, and human pathos that grabs the reader. I’m a fan and gladly recommend this book to readers of science fiction and anyone who enjoys an unusual human story.
The first book in the series covers two aspects of her immersion in Innerscape – first, the preparation of her new body and the tests to prepare for her transition, and second, the transition into the VR world and her orientation. As a series, the story continues beyond the initial book, and Flory hooks the reader with the introduction of several challenging characters, corporate compromises, questionable ethics, and love.
The science is detailed and utterly entrancing, as well as completely understandable to the layperson. The premise and technology also seem entirely plausible, if not now, then in the not-so-distant future. Flory’s writing is meticulous and detailed, and the world she’s created held my fascination throughout.
And all that wasn’t even the best part! Set against the scientific backdrop, is an engrossing human story. Miira is reserved, sensitive, inquisitive, and vulnerable, a beautifully rendered human being undergoing a process that requires complete trust and a step into the unknown. The story is told primarily in her point of view and the immersion in her experience is complete. The Innerscape staff that supports her are multidimensional and believably flawed characters.
The pace is steady and yet I flew through the book because I could NOT put it down. Exquisite writing, gorgeous descriptions, high tech science, and human pathos that grabs the reader. I’m a fan and gladly recommend this book to readers of science fiction and anyone who enjoys an unusual human story.
March 26, 2025
This book introduces us to Miira Tahn, a wealthy woman in her mid-fifties who is dying of cancer and the price she must pay if she is to continue to live, sort of. She has chosen to live a virtual life within the an AI generated virtual world, but it involves sacrificing her body to do so. The story, set a hundred years in the future, envisions people visiting and playing within an AI generated virtual world, with their full senses. People can experience the full range of life, see, smell and feel everything within this virtual world - as well as interact realistically with others who are in it just as in the real world. However, in the case of Miira, once she enters it, she can never return to the real world because her body is wracked cancer and that must be dealt with. A company, Innerscape, offers a service wherein they will dismantle her diseased body, eliminate the cancer, and replace damaged organs with artificial ones that will keep her brain alive, for a time, with her body, what is left of it, maintained in a vat at the facility until the person's organs naturally fail of old age.
This story offers a very interesting take on the idea of living beyond death. In most stories this involves transferring one's consciousness to a computer and some sort of robot. In this story, the person is freed of their body and able to roam a virtual world as real as the real one - without consequences until they die naturally. Flory goes into great detail about how this process is done, and how Miira is conditioned to accept this new reality, plus how the AI generates a flawless reality for her. This is very much a hard science fiction book that takes a serious look at the medical and psychological issues that would be needed to be addressed to make this possible.
While Miira's journey into the Innerscape is primary focus of the story, there are several action orientated chapters - that come somewhat out of left field, and are not directly explained at first - that involve other people and events which, as the story goes along, the reader comes to discover are also taking place in this virtual world and are in some way connected to events in the outside world. No doubt, these interludes will become more significant in the following two volumes of this story, since this is only the first book of a three book series. All in all, I would say that this in a very unique treat for fans of hard-science fiction and cyberpunk.
This story offers a very interesting take on the idea of living beyond death. In most stories this involves transferring one's consciousness to a computer and some sort of robot. In this story, the person is freed of their body and able to roam a virtual world as real as the real one - without consequences until they die naturally. Flory goes into great detail about how this process is done, and how Miira is conditioned to accept this new reality, plus how the AI generates a flawless reality for her. This is very much a hard science fiction book that takes a serious look at the medical and psychological issues that would be needed to be addressed to make this possible.
While Miira's journey into the Innerscape is primary focus of the story, there are several action orientated chapters - that come somewhat out of left field, and are not directly explained at first - that involve other people and events which, as the story goes along, the reader comes to discover are also taking place in this virtual world and are in some way connected to events in the outside world. No doubt, these interludes will become more significant in the following two volumes of this story, since this is only the first book of a three book series. All in all, I would say that this in a very unique treat for fans of hard-science fiction and cyberpunk.
February 24, 2022
In acflories Miira (2017), Book 1 of the Innerscape trilogy, the time is centuries in the future and Miira Tahn, last Lady of Dhurai, is dying. She can’t walk, pee, eat, or anything else without considerable assistance from her manufactured exoskeleton. Her last hope is to live out her remaining time in a man-made meta universe called Innerscape, a realistic world where Residents like Miira, with massive amounts of money, can spend the remainder of their lives--until their bodies die from whatever is killing them--in normalcy and happiness. The geeks in charge of the technologic marvel known as Innerscape create an avatar that represents Miira's image of herself (Miira chooses a late-20's memory of her youth) and a world of her choosing (Miira selects the estate where she and her husband lived until he died). Changing Miira from a severely damaged human being to the vibrant, intellectual female that lives in her head takes more than bits and bytes. It requires the assistance of a brilliant young doctor at Innerscape named Kenneth Wu whose job it is to make Miira and her world so close to real she can't tell the difference. To do this, he must get to know her in as much detail intellectually and emotionally as possible. This leads to a close friendship, maybe more in later books of the trilogy.
Much of Miira tells the story of how Miira adapts to this new world, presented in amazingly complex and fascinating detail constructed by the brilliant creative mind of acflories. Here are examples:
"Moving with microscopic precision, the instruments of the surgical AI removed one vertebra at a time, spray painting each exposed section of her spinal cord with a solution of fast acting biocrete before moving on to the next section."
"...the joints of her exoskeleton whirred as she turned to watch the alpacas amble from spot to spot, aware of nothing but the next blade of grass."
Along with Miira's resettlement into Innerscape are several subplots, minor in this book--almost not worth mentioning--that will eventually grow to full-fledged storylines in the later books of the trilogy.
I didn't feel any connection to Miira at first, but the more I got to know her, the more I liked her. See if you agree:
“You really should… let the AI, drive!” Jane gasped as she fell further and further behind. “I know,” Miira muttered as she slowed the chair for a right hand turn. “But I don’t want to.”
x
"...she needed the illusion of control to keep the helpless anger at bay."
What really got to me was the pain--chronic, unrelenting, and debilitating. Miira refuses to give in, but there's not a lot she can do when it prevents her body from working. That will resonate with every one of us who have suffered unremitting pain that doesn't end except for during sleep or drugs that turn us into zombies. I found I could borrow strength from Miira because she had courage to spare.
Overall, this is an amazing book. I don't know why it's not wildly popular, selling thousands, with a cult following of Innerscape wannabe's.
Much of Miira tells the story of how Miira adapts to this new world, presented in amazingly complex and fascinating detail constructed by the brilliant creative mind of acflories. Here are examples:
"Moving with microscopic precision, the instruments of the surgical AI removed one vertebra at a time, spray painting each exposed section of her spinal cord with a solution of fast acting biocrete before moving on to the next section."
"...the joints of her exoskeleton whirred as she turned to watch the alpacas amble from spot to spot, aware of nothing but the next blade of grass."
Along with Miira's resettlement into Innerscape are several subplots, minor in this book--almost not worth mentioning--that will eventually grow to full-fledged storylines in the later books of the trilogy.
I didn't feel any connection to Miira at first, but the more I got to know her, the more I liked her. See if you agree:
“You really should… let the AI, drive!” Jane gasped as she fell further and further behind. “I know,” Miira muttered as she slowed the chair for a right hand turn. “But I don’t want to.”
x
"...she needed the illusion of control to keep the helpless anger at bay."
What really got to me was the pain--chronic, unrelenting, and debilitating. Miira refuses to give in, but there's not a lot she can do when it prevents her body from working. That will resonate with every one of us who have suffered unremitting pain that doesn't end except for during sleep or drugs that turn us into zombies. I found I could borrow strength from Miira because she had courage to spare.
Overall, this is an amazing book. I don't know why it's not wildly popular, selling thousands, with a cult following of Innerscape wannabe's.
October 22, 2020
I persevered with this, but should have dnf'd. As a friend recommended it, I pushed on a bit at a time, struggled, put it down for a while, started again.
Nope. Not a good story. Not a good read.
There is no goal for the character, no drive to go forward, no story question that will have an answer at the end.
this is a self-indulgent wander through pretty little sparklers for the author, not a story where a character has a need or question. If that need or question is in the next book, it's way too late. If this book is all backstory, it's unnecessary and wasteful of my time.
Well written, but pretty words don't make a story. This needed a lot of work, and I'm sorry I spent the time with it.
Nope. Not a good story. Not a good read.
There is no goal for the character, no drive to go forward, no story question that will have an answer at the end.
this is a self-indulgent wander through pretty little sparklers for the author, not a story where a character has a need or question. If that need or question is in the next book, it's way too late. If this book is all backstory, it's unnecessary and wasteful of my time.
Well written, but pretty words don't make a story. This needed a lot of work, and I'm sorry I spent the time with it.
June 6, 2019
What Amazon Says:
In 2101, the average life expectancy is one hundred and ten. Miira Tahn, last Lady of Dhurai, is dying at just fifty-two. Faced with a slow, agonizing death, her only hope is Innerscape, a virtual paradise in which the Residents inhabit beautiful, digital bodies indistinguishable from the real thing.
Or so the brochures say. But even Eden had a snake, and once inducted, the Residents of Innerscape can never again return to the real world. If anything goes wrong, they’ll be lost in the dark forever.
Yet for Miira Tahn, even a tenuous hope is better than the fate that awaits her.
‘...sometimes you just have to close your eyes and jump...'
‘Miira’ is the first book of the Innerscape cyle and corresponds to Episode 1 of the original series.
My Review
Principal Characters:
Miira Than, last Lady of Dhurai is the principal in this collection.
Kenneth Wu, the interesting young Doctor, whose medical skills are crucial to transition into Innerscape.
Charles McGrath – focused on the success of Innerscape, no matter the cost.
There is a cast of additional characters, some of whom help make Innerscape work, others from within Innerscape itself.
Yet others step into and out.
The plot
The premise and concept of Innerscape, to my mind, is that life does not need to end. Certainly not prematurely at the tender age of 52, which is the fate awaiting Miira without radical assistance.
Innerscape is a crafted world designed with the use of Artificial Intelligence to the specifications of the individuals whose privilege it is to inhabit. The world is populated by avatars, living a full and complete life on behalf of the mind possessed by their ailing principals, whose lives are artificially sustained, into perpetuity.
Innerscape is the sustaining concept, but is also filled indifference and intrigue, avarice and jealousy. Vendettas may be conducted by or on behalf of people outside Innerscape – crime conducted by avatar proxy.
Overall
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Miira. This is speculative fiction for grown ups. Who among us has not contemplated ideas of this kind?
Andrea Flory has pulled off a masterful conceptualisation of a very plausible future scenario. The extension of life, to be spent in your ideal setting and circumstances, but with a dark and greedy undercurrent running through the narrative.
I was fully engaged with the story.
• Excellent characterisations.
• Plausible scenario, realistically presented.
• Several levels and kinds of conflict running through the narrative.
• Strongly drawn and appealing female protagonist.
• Excellent set up for the bnext book in the series.
My Rating
I have no hesitation in awarding 5 stars to Miira.
Other Comments
The ebook format of Miira is free to purchase on Amazon. I think it may be perma-free.
In 2101, the average life expectancy is one hundred and ten. Miira Tahn, last Lady of Dhurai, is dying at just fifty-two. Faced with a slow, agonizing death, her only hope is Innerscape, a virtual paradise in which the Residents inhabit beautiful, digital bodies indistinguishable from the real thing.
Or so the brochures say. But even Eden had a snake, and once inducted, the Residents of Innerscape can never again return to the real world. If anything goes wrong, they’ll be lost in the dark forever.
Yet for Miira Tahn, even a tenuous hope is better than the fate that awaits her.
‘...sometimes you just have to close your eyes and jump...'
‘Miira’ is the first book of the Innerscape cyle and corresponds to Episode 1 of the original series.
My Review
Principal Characters:
Miira Than, last Lady of Dhurai is the principal in this collection.
Kenneth Wu, the interesting young Doctor, whose medical skills are crucial to transition into Innerscape.
Charles McGrath – focused on the success of Innerscape, no matter the cost.
There is a cast of additional characters, some of whom help make Innerscape work, others from within Innerscape itself.
Yet others step into and out.
The plot
The premise and concept of Innerscape, to my mind, is that life does not need to end. Certainly not prematurely at the tender age of 52, which is the fate awaiting Miira without radical assistance.
Innerscape is a crafted world designed with the use of Artificial Intelligence to the specifications of the individuals whose privilege it is to inhabit. The world is populated by avatars, living a full and complete life on behalf of the mind possessed by their ailing principals, whose lives are artificially sustained, into perpetuity.
Innerscape is the sustaining concept, but is also filled indifference and intrigue, avarice and jealousy. Vendettas may be conducted by or on behalf of people outside Innerscape – crime conducted by avatar proxy.
Overall
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Miira. This is speculative fiction for grown ups. Who among us has not contemplated ideas of this kind?
Andrea Flory has pulled off a masterful conceptualisation of a very plausible future scenario. The extension of life, to be spent in your ideal setting and circumstances, but with a dark and greedy undercurrent running through the narrative.
I was fully engaged with the story.
• Excellent characterisations.
• Plausible scenario, realistically presented.
• Several levels and kinds of conflict running through the narrative.
• Strongly drawn and appealing female protagonist.
• Excellent set up for the bnext book in the series.
My Rating
I have no hesitation in awarding 5 stars to Miira.
Other Comments
The ebook format of Miira is free to purchase on Amazon. I think it may be perma-free.
October 4, 2025
This is an extraordinary book. I have had it on my TBR for a few years, but I am not a big sci fi fan so I put off reading it. Now, I regret waiting as this really is a most intriguing and clever book. I already have the next book in the series and will be reading it in the near future.
Miira is a woman, a refugee, whose life has been reduced to that of a middled aged invalid reliant on a manufactured exoskeleton to help her do everything. All her status and money cannot reverse the damage done to her physical body during her early years as a new refugee in Australia. Faced with a slow and painful death, Miira choses to enter Innerscape, a virtual world for wealthy individuals whose physical bodies can no longer offer them a good life. Despite some anxieties, Miira decides to go ahead and undergo the transition of her body to enter Innerscape. Once transitioned there is no returning to your previous life.
Miira is an excellent character. Highly intelligent and yet vulnerable, the author's sensitive writing brings Miira to life and I really wanted Innerscape to meet her expectations and make up for everything she'd lost over her relatively short life of 52 years. As in the real world of ordinary humans, nothing is every straight forward. Innerscape is run by people who are subject to many character flaws and these extend into the virtual world they helped to create and run. Miira is a strong and determined woman, one who sets a good example to all female readers, and although this book ended after her integration into Innerscape, the reader knows there is a lot more to come and believes that Miira will overcome whatever is thrown at her in this strange new virtual world because she is a survivor. As a side note, I really liked that Miira chose to return to a younger version of herself when she entered Innerscape and didn't turn herself into an artificially enhanced 'Barbie doll'.
One of the reasons I don't read a lot of sci fi is because I don't like pages of explanations about future worlds or, alternatively, no explanations at all so I don't really understand the future world. The author managed to keep the reader completely informed about her created world by showing and through dialogue which made this book a really good experience for me. I could understand exactly how both the future world and the virtual world of Innerscape worked from the behaviours, actions, and conversations that took place.
I highly recommend this book and I am looking forward to reading the the other books in this series.
Miira is a woman, a refugee, whose life has been reduced to that of a middled aged invalid reliant on a manufactured exoskeleton to help her do everything. All her status and money cannot reverse the damage done to her physical body during her early years as a new refugee in Australia. Faced with a slow and painful death, Miira choses to enter Innerscape, a virtual world for wealthy individuals whose physical bodies can no longer offer them a good life. Despite some anxieties, Miira decides to go ahead and undergo the transition of her body to enter Innerscape. Once transitioned there is no returning to your previous life.
Miira is an excellent character. Highly intelligent and yet vulnerable, the author's sensitive writing brings Miira to life and I really wanted Innerscape to meet her expectations and make up for everything she'd lost over her relatively short life of 52 years. As in the real world of ordinary humans, nothing is every straight forward. Innerscape is run by people who are subject to many character flaws and these extend into the virtual world they helped to create and run. Miira is a strong and determined woman, one who sets a good example to all female readers, and although this book ended after her integration into Innerscape, the reader knows there is a lot more to come and believes that Miira will overcome whatever is thrown at her in this strange new virtual world because she is a survivor. As a side note, I really liked that Miira chose to return to a younger version of herself when she entered Innerscape and didn't turn herself into an artificially enhanced 'Barbie doll'.
One of the reasons I don't read a lot of sci fi is because I don't like pages of explanations about future worlds or, alternatively, no explanations at all so I don't really understand the future world. The author managed to keep the reader completely informed about her created world by showing and through dialogue which made this book a really good experience for me. I could understand exactly how both the future world and the virtual world of Innerscape worked from the behaviours, actions, and conversations that took place.
I highly recommend this book and I am looking forward to reading the the other books in this series.
September 22, 2018
In the 22nd century, a technology company is capable of providing the dying with a virtual existence in a perfect simulation of the individual's real world. This book follows Miira Tahn as she enters Innerscape.
The fictional world of which Innerscape is a part is vividly described, and may be based on the author's home in Australia. References to afflicted individuals called "Refugees" and a drowned coastline with ruins hint at some sort of cataclysm in the past. In fact, Miira herself is descended from the Refugees, and her imminent and premature death is a sad characteristic of that group. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere, and virtual reality situations involving avatars are commonly used. I found this tech background easy to follow, for the most part, and I appreciated the enhanced "realities" of food, clothing, and settings, such as a gorgeous version of Paris.
By the time she decides to enter Innerscape, Miira Tahn's body has deteriorated to the point she needs a robotic exoskeleton to get around. Miira is a sympathetic character. Her love for her deceased husband and for Dhurai, the estate she departs from in the novel's opening scenes, make her easy to relate to, cutting through the futuristic gloss of her fictional world. Her actual entry into the virtual environment of Innerscape involves complex surgery, which is described in disturbingly fascinating detail.
Miira's orientation to Innerscape is the main focus of the book. It's an astonishing whirlwind of the real and the virtual, to the point I sometimes couldn't tell who – or what – was real. There are Innerscape staffers, administrators and board members. There are other residents and non-resident avatars (NRAs). Everyone has their own agenda, and their interactions are fascinating and sometimes startling.
The ending is abrupt, but it's clear that Miira's story continues into the other books of the Innerscape series. I hope those will also pick up on and clarify some of the hints and unresolved plot threads involving secondary characters.
This is well-wrought science fiction that got me thinking about the intersection of human emotions, technology, and corporate interests in a way that relates to our rapidly changing world. It reminded me of The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. There is no organ harvesting in Innerscape, but the capitalization of basic human needs is definitely there.
The fictional world of which Innerscape is a part is vividly described, and may be based on the author's home in Australia. References to afflicted individuals called "Refugees" and a drowned coastline with ruins hint at some sort of cataclysm in the past. In fact, Miira herself is descended from the Refugees, and her imminent and premature death is a sad characteristic of that group. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere, and virtual reality situations involving avatars are commonly used. I found this tech background easy to follow, for the most part, and I appreciated the enhanced "realities" of food, clothing, and settings, such as a gorgeous version of Paris.
By the time she decides to enter Innerscape, Miira Tahn's body has deteriorated to the point she needs a robotic exoskeleton to get around. Miira is a sympathetic character. Her love for her deceased husband and for Dhurai, the estate she departs from in the novel's opening scenes, make her easy to relate to, cutting through the futuristic gloss of her fictional world. Her actual entry into the virtual environment of Innerscape involves complex surgery, which is described in disturbingly fascinating detail.
Miira's orientation to Innerscape is the main focus of the book. It's an astonishing whirlwind of the real and the virtual, to the point I sometimes couldn't tell who – or what – was real. There are Innerscape staffers, administrators and board members. There are other residents and non-resident avatars (NRAs). Everyone has their own agenda, and their interactions are fascinating and sometimes startling.
The ending is abrupt, but it's clear that Miira's story continues into the other books of the Innerscape series. I hope those will also pick up on and clarify some of the hints and unresolved plot threads involving secondary characters.
This is well-wrought science fiction that got me thinking about the intersection of human emotions, technology, and corporate interests in a way that relates to our rapidly changing world. It reminded me of The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. There is no organ harvesting in Innerscape, but the capitalization of basic human needs is definitely there.
May 15, 2026
Miira is dying. And she's only fifty-two in a futuristic world where the life expectancy is well beyond one hundred. She is the Lady of Dhurai and quite wealthy. So when a brochure promises a new life in Innerscape, she takes the leap. She's already lost her husband, Gem, to cancer. She won't let it claim her too.
Thus begins her journey toward a new body, and a chance at a new life. This is science fiction, but it is really so far fetched? It made me think about what could possibly come in our future with the advances in the medical field and AI.
The details the author puts into the science is believable. The process and stages of the transformation are realistic, especially Miira's emotions as it progresses. She feels everything from crippling fear to elation. I felt it too. It's not an easy transition, by any stretch of the imagination.
The other characters in the story are woven in and set up for future books in this series. We meet a troubled male who entered Innerscape at the age of eight. He is the youngest to have ever been brought in. We meet a dedicated doctor, Kenneth Wu, who has problems of his own. But he truly cares about Miira and what happens to her. He's invested in her outcome. We meet the CEO and upper echelon of Innerscape and some of them are not likable characters. Then we meet the staff who care for Miira. Each of them has their own set of problems as well.
This is a well-rounded story. The writing is excellent and the set-up perfect. If you are a fan of believable science fiction, this is the book for you. It makes you think, "What if?"
Thus begins her journey toward a new body, and a chance at a new life. This is science fiction, but it is really so far fetched? It made me think about what could possibly come in our future with the advances in the medical field and AI.
The details the author puts into the science is believable. The process and stages of the transformation are realistic, especially Miira's emotions as it progresses. She feels everything from crippling fear to elation. I felt it too. It's not an easy transition, by any stretch of the imagination.
The other characters in the story are woven in and set up for future books in this series. We meet a troubled male who entered Innerscape at the age of eight. He is the youngest to have ever been brought in. We meet a dedicated doctor, Kenneth Wu, who has problems of his own. But he truly cares about Miira and what happens to her. He's invested in her outcome. We meet the CEO and upper echelon of Innerscape and some of them are not likable characters. Then we meet the staff who care for Miira. Each of them has their own set of problems as well.
This is a well-rounded story. The writing is excellent and the set-up perfect. If you are a fan of believable science fiction, this is the book for you. It makes you think, "What if?"
February 1, 2025
This is the first book in the Innerscape series. It’s a fantastic read!
Miira Tahn, last Lady of Dhurai, is dying prematurely. Innerscape offers her the chance of continuing with a virtual life.
The book is set in the future, but you can feel the present. Miira’s home is the last left in her area after years of devastating bushfires. The medical advancements sound like reasonable extensions to the ideas already on the table. Unable to walk unaided, Miira has an exoskeleton to help her and the science behind the preparing her body for a virtual life sounds plausible.
Another aspect of the book concerns virtual reality gaming that has advanced through AI to allow a more ‘personal’ form of combat.
The characters are three-dimensional and Miira’s thoughts and feelings resonate as she faces unpalatable choices. It’s a story that moves quickly and is threaded with humour, romance and deceit. Appearances are frequently deceptive and it is increasingly hard for people to tell the difference between the fake and reality.
The writing is a combination of the factual, the lyrical and pure, creative genius. As soon as I finished it, I bought the next in the series.
Miira Tahn, last Lady of Dhurai, is dying prematurely. Innerscape offers her the chance of continuing with a virtual life.
The book is set in the future, but you can feel the present. Miira’s home is the last left in her area after years of devastating bushfires. The medical advancements sound like reasonable extensions to the ideas already on the table. Unable to walk unaided, Miira has an exoskeleton to help her and the science behind the preparing her body for a virtual life sounds plausible.
Another aspect of the book concerns virtual reality gaming that has advanced through AI to allow a more ‘personal’ form of combat.
The characters are three-dimensional and Miira’s thoughts and feelings resonate as she faces unpalatable choices. It’s a story that moves quickly and is threaded with humour, romance and deceit. Appearances are frequently deceptive and it is increasingly hard for people to tell the difference between the fake and reality.
The writing is a combination of the factual, the lyrical and pure, creative genius. As soon as I finished it, I bought the next in the series.
March 3, 2021
Not my normal genre but I admit to having a fascination and doubts for the advances in medical technology. AI's are also much in the news now and hold a fascination and worry for me as to how they will or are being used and integrated into society.
From the beginning, I was drawn into the writer's world and the attention to detail was outstanding the author had obviously done her due diligence.
Miira a middle-aged lady whose body was failing rapidly as life-threatening cancers rampaged with great speed throughout her body...her thoughts and feelings as the last of her line eloquently described I felt for her...The process for transforming her into an Avatar whilst retaining her thoughts and idiosyncrasies was skilfully portrayed I couldn't put the book down. The other characters and I am not going to give away any spoilers are a mixture of the good and the bad of society...I have the next book and can't wait to read the continuation of Miira's journey.
From the beginning, I was drawn into the writer's world and the attention to detail was outstanding the author had obviously done her due diligence.
Miira a middle-aged lady whose body was failing rapidly as life-threatening cancers rampaged with great speed throughout her body...her thoughts and feelings as the last of her line eloquently described I felt for her...The process for transforming her into an Avatar whilst retaining her thoughts and idiosyncrasies was skilfully portrayed I couldn't put the book down. The other characters and I am not going to give away any spoilers are a mixture of the good and the bad of society...I have the next book and can't wait to read the continuation of Miira's journey.
October 28, 2019
A beautifully written and imagined story world, enough darkness and intrigue to lead the reader deeper into the folds of this near-future utopia that isn't.
One woman's journey from a life where death will come too soon, to a life within a world where it's possible she will never die ... according to the sales pitch.
And the boundary between that world, Innerscape, and another, darker world beyond the moat ... and the external world, which still intrudes and has an agenda, a secret that must be maintained.
This is an RPG-styled story, not like other stories of inner science fiction.
And this is not the end of the story, only the beginning. Be prepared.
One woman's journey from a life where death will come too soon, to a life within a world where it's possible she will never die ... according to the sales pitch.
And the boundary between that world, Innerscape, and another, darker world beyond the moat ... and the external world, which still intrudes and has an agenda, a secret that must be maintained.
This is an RPG-styled story, not like other stories of inner science fiction.
And this is not the end of the story, only the beginning. Be prepared.
February 5, 2021
An excellent read.
An interesting look at how virtual reality could conceivably become a necessity rather than only a tool for gamers to enjoy.
Great characters, a solid plot and a good start to this 3 book series.
See my review also at:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
An interesting look at how virtual reality could conceivably become a necessity rather than only a tool for gamers to enjoy.
Great characters, a solid plot and a good start to this 3 book series.
See my review also at:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
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