What do you think?
Rate this book
8-Bit Bastards #1
8-Bit Bastards: Level One
"One of the most gamelike LitRPG stories that I've read in a long time..." "This is by far one of the best LitRPGs I have read. It's funny, old school, and the writing is smooth." "More Ready Player One than Ready Player One" - Amazon Reviews When you’ve maxed out your level, done every quest, and defeated every enemy, there’s not much left. So after seven centuries of immortality, Sean wants nothing more than to die. Afterall was touted as a paradise, an afterlife where anyone could pursue their interests, from archery to zookeeping. The gaming was the stuff of legend, but for Sean it had grown stale. But when a woman from a past life informs him of a real, flesh-and-blood descendant that has hacked his way in, Sean finds a new purpose. The AI doesn’t take kindly to interlopers, and parks the intruder in the one realm so buggy that even the oldest, most powerful denizens of Afterall steer clear of it – the Bitrealm. Sean must enter a land created for the original gamers, people like him who cut their teeth on some of the first video games released to the public. Will Sean brave the pixelated wilderness of Bitrealm to rescue his lost kin? Or will he fall victim to the force that has been making people vanish? One thing’s for certain, he can’t do it alone. He’s going to need a few members of his original guild. He’s going to need some Eight-Bit Bastards.
- GenresFantasy
267 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 6, 2019
71 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 20, 2020
2 1/2 stars
This would have been so much better if the first third of this book was somehow incorporated into the last 50% of the book. There was so much wasted time and info dump building the world in that first third it was boring. It’s not until the actual quest starts that I really started to enjoy the book. I’ll be reading the next book as I assume the worst of the info dumping is done. The world itself is pretty unique and really grabbed me as a retro game fan.
This would have been so much better if the first third of this book was somehow incorporated into the last 50% of the book. There was so much wasted time and info dump building the world in that first third it was boring. It’s not until the actual quest starts that I really started to enjoy the book. I’ll be reading the next book as I assume the worst of the info dumping is done. The world itself is pretty unique and really grabbed me as a retro game fan.
June 9, 2019
A great story filled with 8-bit awesomeness
I'll start by saying that this is one of the most gamelike LitRPG stories Ithat ive read in a long time. It feels like the MC and his party is playing through an 8-bit era action RPG. The story has so many 80s gaming and pop culture references that it might even cause Ernest Cline to blush. The characters each have their own voices and are clearly distinct from one another and they have complex and interesting relationships.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. If you enjoy 80s era gaming, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.
I'll start by saying that this is one of the most gamelike LitRPG stories Ithat ive read in a long time. It feels like the MC and his party is playing through an 8-bit era action RPG. The story has so many 80s gaming and pop culture references that it might even cause Ernest Cline to blush. The characters each have their own voices and are clearly distinct from one another and they have complex and interesting relationships.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. If you enjoy 80s era gaming, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.
September 5, 2019
In a future where humans have uploaded themselves to digital paradises (but you can still stink after a lengthy gaming session), there are still plenty of people trying to get back in from the outside. One of them, Phil, is the descendant of an uploaded gamer named Sean. The security system for the world has dumped Phil in an 8-bit hell based on Castlevania 2, Dragon Quest, The Legend of Zelda 2 (the worst one), and Final Fantasy.
Sean has to get his old gaming guild back together in order to rescue the child before they're killed by the pixelated monsters within and don't get resurrected. This is a very charming LIT-RPG work that is probably among the best I've read from the franchise in awhile. The premise is a bit cyberpunk and I like that. I also like how utterly boring it would be to know the same people for 800 years as well as how badly you can screw up your friendship with them. I've had friends like Sean to my distaste and would never forgive them, millennia or no.
My only complaint is the book ends on a cliffhanger and it's a bit unclear that they're all brain uploads into a virtual reality world at first. Also, how they pay for such an immortality-granted service. Still, I'm reading the next one.
8/10
Sean has to get his old gaming guild back together in order to rescue the child before they're killed by the pixelated monsters within and don't get resurrected. This is a very charming LIT-RPG work that is probably among the best I've read from the franchise in awhile. The premise is a bit cyberpunk and I like that. I also like how utterly boring it would be to know the same people for 800 years as well as how badly you can screw up your friendship with them. I've had friends like Sean to my distaste and would never forgive them, millennia or no.
My only complaint is the book ends on a cliffhanger and it's a bit unclear that they're all brain uploads into a virtual reality world at first. Also, how they pay for such an immortality-granted service. Still, I'm reading the next one.
8/10
June 4, 2022
Steam Whistle Alley was a great book, one so good I couldn't wait to read something else by the same author. How... is this the same author? All of the wonderful world building I loved so much in that book is completely absent here. There's a really cool premise, that after 700 years in a digital afterlife, people are bored and want out. Well guess what, we're not gonna talk about anything that happened over those 700 years because the narrator says it's all boring! Nevermind the reader didn't experience any of that.
Unless... did you want an awful love triangle between characters that read like they were written by Beavis and Butthead? Because we DO get that. There's no world, the characters are awful... how 'bout the story? Well for the first 100 pages, there's not much of that either! The main character has a son he never knew about. But are we gonna talk about that? Nope, because it would be "too difficult" for the MC to try and address with the mother. More like the author that writes a woman flirting as "she wrapped her hand around his finger and moved it up and down", doesn't have the skill to write about that topic with the respect it deserves, so he just doesn't.
Don't worry though, this is a five star book because of all the references! He has ALL the video games! He drives a landspeeder and his ex drives a Tron cycle! An 8-bit thug says I AM ERROR! ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US!........ok seriously, references in a book are not a bad thing, IF THEY ARE IN SERVICE TO THE STORY. There IS no story here. Instead of fleshing out the world and giving it little touches of familiarity to engage the reader, this is just empty, blatant, craptastic fan service. If you've ever gotten mad at a Star Wars fan that clapped their hands and gasped because Darth Vader makes an appearance, despite being in almost every Star Wars property that exists, THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR YOU.
Joshua Mason, what the hell happened? Steam Whistle Alley came out BEFORE this book. That book is so much better it boggles the mind. It makes me actively angry that you put out something this bad when I know you're capable of so much more.
Unless... did you want an awful love triangle between characters that read like they were written by Beavis and Butthead? Because we DO get that. There's no world, the characters are awful... how 'bout the story? Well for the first 100 pages, there's not much of that either! The main character has a son he never knew about. But are we gonna talk about that? Nope, because it would be "too difficult" for the MC to try and address with the mother. More like the author that writes a woman flirting as "she wrapped her hand around his finger and moved it up and down", doesn't have the skill to write about that topic with the respect it deserves, so he just doesn't.
Don't worry though, this is a five star book because of all the references! He has ALL the video games! He drives a landspeeder and his ex drives a Tron cycle! An 8-bit thug says I AM ERROR! ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US!........ok seriously, references in a book are not a bad thing, IF THEY ARE IN SERVICE TO THE STORY. There IS no story here. Instead of fleshing out the world and giving it little touches of familiarity to engage the reader, this is just empty, blatant, craptastic fan service. If you've ever gotten mad at a Star Wars fan that clapped their hands and gasped because Darth Vader makes an appearance, despite being in almost every Star Wars property that exists, THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR YOU.
Joshua Mason, what the hell happened? Steam Whistle Alley came out BEFORE this book. That book is so much better it boggles the mind. It makes me actively angry that you put out something this bad when I know you're capable of so much more.
January 13, 2020
This review is based on combined level 1 and 2 but rings true for just 1 as well
I received a copy of this audio book for an honest review and I’m glad I did, this is a fun read for any retro gamers out there looking to get their Geek on. The book follows a group of folks (the 8-bit bastards) as they move their exitance within Afterall, where there consciousnesses have been store and allowed them to live forever in a virtual world allowing them to live in different types of computer games. For this quest they’ve gone to the 8 bit realm where the likes of Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt reign supreme. The story follows the group as they move through the vitual world, slaying NPCs and leveling up moving towards the main boss. The book is well written and the characters are interesting and I kept wanting to listen wondering what would happen next. It reminds me a lot of the Magic 2.0 or Caverns and Creatures series (with a little less humor). Since I can’t do half start (which this is a solid 4.5 star book) I really debated on if this was a 4 or 5 star book but ended up on 4 stars due to the fact that it ended with a bit of a cliff hanger which is one of my pet peves, so I’m not sure what will happen to the group. I feel like there was a chance to bring this part of the story to a close and leave the listener wanting more. That being said I hope level 3+ aren’t too far away as I’m ready to dive even further into this wonderful world.
I received a copy of this audio book for an honest review and I’m glad I did, this is a fun read for any retro gamers out there looking to get their Geek on. The book follows a group of folks (the 8-bit bastards) as they move their exitance within Afterall, where there consciousnesses have been store and allowed them to live forever in a virtual world allowing them to live in different types of computer games. For this quest they’ve gone to the 8 bit realm where the likes of Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt reign supreme. The story follows the group as they move through the vitual world, slaying NPCs and leveling up moving towards the main boss. The book is well written and the characters are interesting and I kept wanting to listen wondering what would happen next. It reminds me a lot of the Magic 2.0 or Caverns and Creatures series (with a little less humor). Since I can’t do half start (which this is a solid 4.5 star book) I really debated on if this was a 4 or 5 star book but ended up on 4 stars due to the fact that it ended with a bit of a cliff hanger which is one of my pet peves, so I’m not sure what will happen to the group. I feel like there was a chance to bring this part of the story to a close and leave the listener wanting more. That being said I hope level 3+ aren’t too far away as I’m ready to dive even further into this wonderful world.
June 9, 2019
Fun adventure that took me back to my old NES days
I really enjoyed this book. It was an extremely quick read and well edited.
I love the concept of being stuck in an 8-bit world and it added an awesome twist to the normal fantasy world of elves and dwarves.
The action scenes were very well done, and enough happened to keep my interest throughout without lulls.
The characters are well written and the author does a good job of adding depth within a relatively short time.
I love the game prompts throughout the book. There are enough to be interesting but not so many that you end up skipping them because you are overwhelmed.
I enjoy cheesy jokes/innuendos and this book does not lack in that area.
The only constructive thing I can think of is sometimes the language that the characters use is a little too formal, or doesn’t seem to fit who is speaking. It is probably just me but I fixate on stuff like that.
All in all I definitely recommend giving this one a shot if you have enjoyed old school games at any point in your life. As someone who grew up in the 80’s and spent countless hours playing my NES I definitely enjoyed this book.
An aside, I freaking love the cover art.
I’m looking forward to book two and will pick it up when it comes out.
I really enjoyed this book. It was an extremely quick read and well edited.
I love the concept of being stuck in an 8-bit world and it added an awesome twist to the normal fantasy world of elves and dwarves.
The action scenes were very well done, and enough happened to keep my interest throughout without lulls.
The characters are well written and the author does a good job of adding depth within a relatively short time.
I love the game prompts throughout the book. There are enough to be interesting but not so many that you end up skipping them because you are overwhelmed.
I enjoy cheesy jokes/innuendos and this book does not lack in that area.
The only constructive thing I can think of is sometimes the language that the characters use is a little too formal, or doesn’t seem to fit who is speaking. It is probably just me but I fixate on stuff like that.
All in all I definitely recommend giving this one a shot if you have enjoyed old school games at any point in your life. As someone who grew up in the 80’s and spent countless hours playing my NES I definitely enjoyed this book.
An aside, I freaking love the cover art.
I’m looking forward to book two and will pick it up when it comes out.
March 7, 2020
This is two books in one and are classified as LitRPG books, the setting is based in the far universe where a generation of players had sacrificed their bodies and uploaded their souls into a game world called Afterall. The book is light natured, there are some strong language present and some sexual themes, no gore. I would have the target audience +14 years old.
Plot:
Our main character, Sean uploaded his mind into a game world several hundred years ago. Over the course of that time he has done everything that Afterall has offered. He has gotten tired with the quests and spends eternity playing retro games. Sean soon finds a new purpose as he has gotten word that one of his descendants has entered the game world and has been teleported into the most dangerous realm within the game, Bitrealm.
Characters:
Sean is the main protagonist and is kind of a jerk. His hobbies include games, games, games, and stealing other people's girlfriends. Whiles hundreds of years old he has the mind of a adolescent boy. He tries to convince his team that he has changed his ways.
What I like:
The author has done a good job world building and making his own unique characters.
What I don't like:
I think that it is a solid read. No real problems that I can see.
Plot:
Our main character, Sean uploaded his mind into a game world several hundred years ago. Over the course of that time he has done everything that Afterall has offered. He has gotten tired with the quests and spends eternity playing retro games. Sean soon finds a new purpose as he has gotten word that one of his descendants has entered the game world and has been teleported into the most dangerous realm within the game, Bitrealm.
Characters:
Sean is the main protagonist and is kind of a jerk. His hobbies include games, games, games, and stealing other people's girlfriends. Whiles hundreds of years old he has the mind of a adolescent boy. He tries to convince his team that he has changed his ways.
What I like:
The author has done a good job world building and making his own unique characters.
What I don't like:
I think that it is a solid read. No real problems that I can see.
January 26, 2023
This book was not enjoyable. Why is this even classified as GameLit? The characters do not really seem to get new loot, items or skills. The characters all just spend the whole time arguing like teenagers and almost never use any of their skills. After being alive for 800 years, aren't they supposed to be more mature?
I realize this book was supposed to be a bit irreverent, but the plot is really hard to follow, and the characters do not evolve as people whatsoever. As a matter of fact, I couldn't even distinguish between the two male and two female characters...they literally all seemed to have the exact same personality...angsty teenagers who just bicker all the time over trivial matters. Didn't the author learn in his creative writing class that your characters, or at least your main character, should be likable?
I picked it up because the concept was really cool...and that was probably the only reason I toughed it out to the end. I may try the next in the series to see if anything improves...no guarantee.
I realize this book was supposed to be a bit irreverent, but the plot is really hard to follow, and the characters do not evolve as people whatsoever. As a matter of fact, I couldn't even distinguish between the two male and two female characters...they literally all seemed to have the exact same personality...angsty teenagers who just bicker all the time over trivial matters. Didn't the author learn in his creative writing class that your characters, or at least your main character, should be likable?
I picked it up because the concept was really cool...and that was probably the only reason I toughed it out to the end. I may try the next in the series to see if anything improves...no guarantee.
January 21, 2020
Very nostalgic book with lots of Easter eggs for those who grew up gaming. The most unique LITRPG I’ve ever read/listened to.
The saga begins when an AI approaches Heather and tells her that a descendant of hers is trapped in an 8-Bit dungeon (sort of). She approaches Shawn to enlist his help and after recruiting two more people (Mark and Claudia) they proceed to enter the realm and have to level up. At one point they even have to grind to gain XP.
If you grew up on NES, Sega and SNES you have got to get this book.
Michael Norman Johnson does a great job narrating.
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.
The saga begins when an AI approaches Heather and tells her that a descendant of hers is trapped in an 8-Bit dungeon (sort of). She approaches Shawn to enlist his help and after recruiting two more people (Mark and Claudia) they proceed to enter the realm and have to level up. At one point they even have to grind to gain XP.
If you grew up on NES, Sega and SNES you have got to get this book.
Michael Norman Johnson does a great job narrating.
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.
June 7, 2019
A blast from the past
This bppk brings back so many memories. I like the what would it be like to go from a futuristic game world to an 8 bit sprite world. The characters remind me of 4 people escaping from the retirement home. Ok, I thought it was funny. I loved the low res stat sheets straight from early JRPG land. At least they didn't have to all line up on one side of the screen. A great start to the tale. I'm expecting some the princess is in another castle later on.A lot of fun. Caution pixel gore.
This bppk brings back so many memories. I like the what would it be like to go from a futuristic game world to an 8 bit sprite world. The characters remind me of 4 people escaping from the retirement home. Ok, I thought it was funny. I loved the low res stat sheets straight from early JRPG land. At least they didn't have to all line up on one side of the screen. A great start to the tale. I'm expecting some the princess is in another castle later on.A lot of fun. Caution pixel gore.
June 12, 2019
This was a quick and easy read, making me want to devour it all in one go. I'm a vicarious gamer, mainly familiar with different game aspects from watching friends and family play instead of picking the controller up for myself, but that didn't hinder me enjoying the story. The characters were well written with unique voices, and the humor had just the right amount of cheesiness to keep me chuckling the whole while.
I'll definitely be reading on through the rest of the series, and look forward to seeing what else is in store.
I'll definitely be reading on through the rest of the series, and look forward to seeing what else is in store.
July 16, 2020
*This book was given to me by the author at my request, and I provided this voluntary, unbiased review.*
4.9/5
This was totally AWESOME! So it wasnt the traditional LitRPG, but it definitely qualifies. I enjoyed every minute of it. The storyline is pretty unique for the genre, the characters are like-able (or unlike-able), the setting is something I can imagine happening in the future, and most of all: I was laughing and enjoying myself through the whole thing. The narrator was perfect for the read and I enjoyed the performance.
Highly recommended!
4.9/5
This was totally AWESOME! So it wasnt the traditional LitRPG, but it definitely qualifies. I enjoyed every minute of it. The storyline is pretty unique for the genre, the characters are like-able (or unlike-able), the setting is something I can imagine happening in the future, and most of all: I was laughing and enjoying myself through the whole thing. The narrator was perfect for the read and I enjoyed the performance.
Highly recommended!
April 13, 2023
3/5 I liked it.
Players live for over 800 years in a big game world. They cannot die and Life becomes boring. The world is closed for new players but someone hacks his way into this world. The game AI bans him into the 8-Bit-Area and 4 player try to rescue that man from there.
Lots of reminiscences to old games from the 80s. From the rat infested basement to the dragon fight. lots of innuendo and happy banter in the party.
Players live for over 800 years in a big game world. They cannot die and Life becomes boring. The world is closed for new players but someone hacks his way into this world. The game AI bans him into the 8-Bit-Area and 4 player try to rescue that man from there.
Lots of reminiscences to old games from the 80s. From the rat infested basement to the dragon fight. lots of innuendo and happy banter in the party.
July 13, 2019
Book one
Mistakes: None found in this short, fast read.
Plot: People have been uploaded to a game for hundreds of years. A man hacks into the game. He must be rescued.
Characters: Interesting group.
7.5/10
Mistakes: None found in this short, fast read.
Plot: People have been uploaded to a game for hundreds of years. A man hacks into the game. He must be rescued.
Characters: Interesting group.
7.5/10
June 25, 2019
Pretty good start
June 30, 2019
Great book
A Fun romp through 80s nostalgia, complete with lots of action and characters with a deep history. Looking forward to exploring the world further.
A Fun romp through 80s nostalgia, complete with lots of action and characters with a deep history. Looking forward to exploring the world further.
July 23, 2019
This was fun. Brought me back to my days of playing 8-bit RPGs. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.
January 30, 2020
Started slow, but did enjoy it in the end.
May 9, 2020
I liked the old school gaming nostalgia in this book. I appreciate the original gaming world that Mason created. Overall, I thought it was a lot of fun.
October 28, 2020
A good book
A unique take on the games of my childhood. I’m looking forward to more installments in the series. Keep em coming.
A unique take on the games of my childhood. I’m looking forward to more installments in the series. Keep em coming.
November 21, 2020
Great quick read
I loved this book so much the retro was great and I loved the descriptions of the bit world and just taking me back to the good old days of gaming!
I loved this book so much the retro was great and I loved the descriptions of the bit world and just taking me back to the good old days of gaming!
November 28, 2020
As this book got up to speed, I really enjoyed it. For some reason, I found that it tapered off a bit and I wasn’t as into it by the end.
May 13, 2022
entertaining
This book was fun, I did not realize that it is the start of a long series, but that just means more fun later.
This book was fun, I did not realize that it is the start of a long series, but that just means more fun later.
April 2, 2020
A new take
Binge worthy.
Very enjoyable.
Different in a good way.
Happy to see there’s plans for a 9 book series.
Cliffhanger.
Good thing book two is out.
Binge worthy.
Very enjoyable.
Different in a good way.
Happy to see there’s plans for a 9 book series.
Cliffhanger.
Good thing book two is out.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews