This Virtual Night

Alien Shores #2

by C.S. Friedman

Returning to the universe of New York Times Notable book This Alien Shore comes a new space opera from an acknowledged master of science fiction.

Millenia ago, an overcrowded Earth developed the Hausman Drive, which allowed humans to travel faster than light and colonize the galaxy. Too late, it was discovered that the technology damaged the DNA of those who used it, causing the children of colonists to be born with mutations. Fearful of contagion, Earth cut off all contact with the colonists, leaving them stranded and alone as they struggled to come to terms with what they had become.

Now, in the Second Age of Human Expansion, a new galactic civilization has been established. This time it is based on space stations clustered around natural transit points: the outworlds. One Variant race, the Guerans, has made it a personal mission to locate any surviving colonies and bring them back into the human fold. But ancient bitternesses die hard, and there is no love lost between Terrans and their Variant cousins.

It is technology that unites humanity now. The brainware that each person receives at birth allows direct mental communication with a computer network spanning the outworlds: the outernet. But with that technology comes great risk.

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Audiobook, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Cyberpunk, Fantasy

441 pages, Hardcover

First published November 3, 2020

About the author

Celia S. Friedman is a science fiction and fantasy author. She has also been credited Celia S. Friedman and Celia Friedman.

Reviews

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I might have mentioned in my review for the first book in this series, This Alien Shore, that I missed this kind of SF.

The bookgods have smiled upon me. (Or at least C.S. Friedman has.)

What we have here is a setting focused on gritty space stations, hacking, aliens everywhere among us, GAMES, mystery, and a good healthy dose of wanderlust gone wrong. If you liked This Alien Shore, I'm pretty certain that you'll love this one.

It's a return to quite complicated SF settings, characters, and investigations that are never reduced to stereotypes. There's heart here and a clear love of the possibilities inherent in these tropes. Virtuals, hacking, melting pot space stations, and pure noir. I'd say it might be a cyberpunk novel, but it's very well rounded.

I very much recommend it.

[Patrick St-Denis · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a long time coming and the novel is finally here. C. S. Friedman's first book in nearly four years. After a stint writing YA, the author went back to her roots, to the science fiction genre where she started her career way back in 1987.

You may recall that writing the Magister trilogy took a lot out of Friedman and she needed a much-deserved break from that sort of story. That series was by far her most densely written, aggressively dark, and adult-themed work, and it took six years of her life to complete. Exhausted, Friedman wanted to write something shorter, something more linear, with a plot that wasn't as convoluted, with a much faster pace. Something that her younger fans could relate to a bit more and that her adult fans would enjoy as well. Whether or not The Dreamwalker Chronicles managed to do just that depends on who you ask. As I said before, I understand why SFF authors like Joe Abercrombie and C. S. Friedman would want to try to tap into the lucrative YA market. They are not the first and they certainly won't be the last. All I can say is that I'm happy that they have both reached the end of their YA series and will now concentrate on adult-oriented speculative fiction works. That's how they each made a name for themselves and the genre needs such authors writing at the top of their game.

Around the time Dreamweaver was published, Friedman announced that her next work would be set in the same universe as the novel This Alien Shore. This really got me excited! Even better, the author is now working on a sequel, which will turn this into a trilogy.

This Alien Shore was published in 1998, so it's been a while. Fear not, for you don't need to have read the novel to fully enjoy This Virtual Night. Both works are set in the same universe and are equally enjoyable, yet they can be read independently.

Here's the blurb:

Returning to the universe of New York Times Notable book This Alien Shore comes a new space opera from an acknowledged master of science fiction.

When deep-space travel altered the genes of the first interstellar colonists, Earth abandoned them. But some of the colonies survived, and a new civilization of mental and physical “Variants” has been established, centered around clusters of space stations known as the outworlds.

Now the unthinkable has happened: a suicide assault has destroyed the life support system of a major waystation. All that is known about the young men responsible is that in their last living moments they were receiving messages from an uninhabited sector of space, and were playing a virtual reality game.

Two unlikely allies have joined forces to investigate the incident: Ru Gaya, a mercenary explorer with a taste for high risk ventures, and game designer Micah Bello, who must find the parties responsible for the attack in order to clear his name. From the corridors of a derelict station lost to madness to an outlaw stronghold in the depths of uncharted space, the two now follow the trail of an enemy who can twist human minds to his purpose, and whose plans could bring about the collapse of outworld civilization.

Dark and complex worldbuilding has always been an aspect in which Friedman shines. This Alien Shore was a sprawling book, filled with cool concepts and big ideas. This sequel is not as dense and is written in a much smaller scale. Indeed, with the groundwork laid out by its predecessor, This Virtual Night can focus on the plot and not have to rely on worldbuilding. The author provides whatever information the reader might need by filling in the blanks when necessary, but otherwise one misses nothing for not having read the prequel.

In style and tone, this new work is not as dark and brooding as past SFF novels by C. S. Friedman. Not "light" by any stretch of the imagination, but This Virtual Night is a more fun and entertaining space opera than what the author has accustomed us to in the past. Have no fear, for it's still a convoluted tale that builds on some of the concepts that were introduced in This Alien Shore.

The bulk of the characterization is made up of the perspectives of two protagonists. Ruisa Gaya, an Outrider who wakes up in Tiananmen Station after a mission that has gone terribly wrong, and Micah Bello, a game designer falsely accused of an attack on a space station. When he barely escapes a murder attempt, Micah finds himself stranded on the abandoned Shenshido station, where things have taken a turn for the worse. Though Ru and Micah take center stage, I feel that the story would have benefited from fleshing out the supporting cast a little more. Especially Ivar and Jericho, since they play important roles in the greater scheme of things.

Although it takes a while for the storylines to come together, This Virtual Night doesn't suffer from any pacing issues. Things are never dull and the tale progresses at a good clip. The novel is a fun romp and a fast read. Virtual reality, hackers, a diversity of alien races that are offshoots of mankind, politicking, intrigue; that's C. S. Friedman's latest in a nutshell.

Looking forward to the final installment in this trilogy!

For more reviews, check out www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I imagine many people will read this (like I did) because they loved This Alien Shore. It's a return to the same world, and though there are references to events in that book, you don't need to have read it to enjoy This Virtual Night; the characters are different and it stands alone just fine.

This book has a different feel, and I kind of think that's to be expected. This Alien Shore was magnificent and must have been daunting to consider returning to. This book also has cyberpunk, space adventures, and a whodunnit to be solved, but if you go in expecting the same sweeping, expansive space opera with a supercomplex plot and All the Politics, you might be disappointed and miss enjoying this one for what it is. This story feels smaller-scale and more personal, like the focus has been pulled in: fewer players and locations to keep track of, but the tension and stakes are still high. I definitely had a hard time putting this down last night until a ridiculous hour. There are shady salvagers, shadier corporates, and Gueran and Guild politics and culture are so neat to get to revisit. (The worldbuilding Friedman did for the Outworld books is incredible.)

But I was surprised by how fun this one was. There's certainly violence and danger, but it felt less dark and serious than This Alien Shore and there was a thread of adventure that ran throughout--swashes were practically buckled. Even dire and grim plot-situations had some levity to them, and the author walked that incredibly fine line of letting characters have quips and sarcastic lines without hampering the story's (or reader's) ability to take itself seriously. I laughed out loud several times, which is a joy I hadn't expected from this particular author.

The challenge/mystery central to the plot is really neat and will give fans of the first book a nice something to chew on, in my opinion. The resolution is on the short and tidy side compared with the rest of the plot, but I thought it worked well enough. I had a really good time with this one, and it's a keeper --glad I got it in physical book form.

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always, it's a pleasure to read C.S. Friedman. Her writing is clear and evocative, and often snarky (a characteristic that I enjoy in prose).

That being said, this was not my favorite of her works; nor do I feel, as strong at "This Alien Shore," which is the novel that introduced us to this future (far future) universe. This was just too short (the hardcover is only 448 pages). It started off as a novel but ended as a novella. I was very surprised to realize that I was already 75% finished but felt like I had just completed the intro and set up to the novel. The last 25% felt rushed and ultimately superficial. The ending was too pat and everything wrapped up too neatly.

[Jake Casella Brookins · Rating 2 out of 5]

An okay space adventure that feels weirdly dated, and unfortunately doesn't do much with its very promising setting. Full review at the Chicago Review of Books: https://chireviewofbooks.com/2020/10/...

[Collie]

I've read This Alien Shore so many times my copy has fallen apart. I am so excited for this sequel

[Whitney (SecretSauceofStorycraft) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8 rounded up - there are no repeat characters from first book.

this is worth picking up for a revisit to the same universe, but temper those expectations as first book in the series was more enjoyable.

The link between this and the second book is the computer virus, Lucifer and its affects on the people of this world. I loved the virtual reality intro but it doesnt really carry thru the story. It wasnt as cohesive or as nuanced as the first one— less moving parts, less complicated motivations, less POVs and to me that was what was less about this book than the first. It feels rushed somehow, like author didnt quite know what she wanted to do with this story.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The treasures that made its predecessor compelling are gone in this long awaited and disappointing sequel. Avoiding spoilers, I’ll simple say it rehashes some unimaginative tropes and barely touches on the fascinating world This Alien Shore began to explore.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story but short on character development, still a fun read.

[deep]

PW Starred: "The long-awaited second entry in Friedman’s Outworlds series (after 1998’s This Alien Shore) will only whet the appetites of hard sci-fi fans for more adventures set in Friedman’s expertly rendered vision of the future. Centuries prior, a major technological breakthrough, the Hausman Drive, enabled humans to colonize the universe, but the development came with a steep price, as the drive altered the DNA of all those who used it, leading them to have mutated offspring who appear inhuman. Earth cut off all contact with these Variant colonists, but now a new method of travel into deep space offers the possibility of reunification for humankind. Against this backdrop, a mysterious explosion on Harmony Station disables the station’s life support system and kills two players of Dragonslayer, a virtual reality game. Suspicions of sabotage lead two very different characters to investigate: Micah Bello, Dragonslayer’s designer, fears he will be falsely accused of planting malware within the game and seeks to clear his name, and mercenary Ru Gaya is hired to look into an abandoned research station which may be linked to the explosion. Friedman perfectly balances action and characterization while keeping up a page-turning pace. Readers won’t want to put this one down. Agent: Russell Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary. (Oct.)"

[Mike Franklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Virtual Night is a second book in the same universe as These Alien Shores but it is not really a sequel though it does involve some aspects from the previous book and reading that first is definitely recommended.

Something strange is going on in an abandoned space station and an unlikely, but very effective, alliance between a slightly geeky virtual games designer and an action-centred interstellar trouble-shooter seems to be the only hope of preventing a major digital viral outbreak.

These Alien Shores made an excellent science fiction debut from established fantasy author Friedman, and this follow up is every bit as good. An exotic mix of human variants, guild controlled interstellar space travel, and space opera with hints of cyberpunk. With plenty of colourful, fast paced action, likeable, well-developed characters and a good intriguing plot this is a book that comfortably provided a thoroughly fun, fast read. What’s not to like about that?

I do hope Friedman continues to write more science fiction and, in particular, more in this world.

[Evan Þ. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This's Friedman's second book in this universe. It's not a proper sequel - it doesn't continue most of the many open questions left from the previous novel. Instead, it tells its own story - and, again, a very good one. Twists and tension continue from beginning to end.

The premise is, something's wrong with an augmented-reality game that's running on gamers' brain implants. In fact, it caused the gamers to unknowingly endanger their space station's life support. And, one programmer for that game thinks people might be falsely fingering him as responsible - or is there an even deeper conspiracy at work? But that's only the beginning; the conspiracy is much deeper than it seems.

I really how Friedman explores the implications of brain implants and what problems and conflicts they can give rise to. I don't want to say too much for fear of spoilers, but it's very good. And also, I like how - following on her previous book's good picture of computer hacking - she gives a very good picture here of story in computer game design.

[astaliegurec · Rating 3 out of 5]

C.S. Friedman's 2020 novel "Outworlds, Book 2: This Virtual Night" is the sequel to her 1998/1999 novel "Outworlds, Book 1: This Alien Shore." I felt that earlier book was merely OK, but thought I'd give this book a try and see if the series had gotten any better in the intervening 20-something years. In a word, no. Whereas I thought the first book was a bit soulless and had backstory problems, I found that I had problems with the main driver of this book. My biggest issue is that I just can't see how the society in question could not have protections against intrusions into absolutely essential, real-time operating systems. There's some attempt at an explanation near the end, but I'm not happy with it. As with the first book, writing-wise, the book is fine. But with what I perceive to be such a big story problem, the best I can rate it is an OK 3 stars out of 5.

[Skolia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent sequel to "This Alien Shore" but at the same time it's somewhat disappointing, the novel's scope is much smaller than the first previous book and, while that's not a bad thing in itself, the story takes it's time to get moving.

I can't get much into the plot without spoilers so I won't go over specifics, but there are some interesting ideas and characters - although perhaps not as interesting as those explored in the previous work.

The final act of "This Virtual Night" felt anti-climatic to me and was somewhat abrupt (although somewhat abrupt endings is largely a hallmark of C. S Friedman's storytelling.)

If, for some reason, you're reading this review wondering if it's worth a read, the short answer is 'yes' but I'd recommend not to expect an epic adventure this time around.

[Henry Lazarus · Rating 4 out of 5]

C.S. Friedman tells of a future with huge space stations in This Virtual Night (hard from DAW). A virtual reality game has been used so unaware gamers could plant a bomb in life support killing the gamers and endangering the station. Ru Gaya, an explorer who locates lost colonies and who has lost her partner, has been asked to investigate. Micah Bello, a game designer blamed for the tragedy, is drawn into the chase. The trail leads through Shenshido, a derelict station where survivors are convinced they are fighting zombies, to a criminal station, Hydra and back to Harmony were the villain is planning a horrible attack. This is a fun tale, but I felt the villain came out of left field and the ending came too easy. Recommended.Review printed by Philadelphia Free Press

[Jen (Remembered Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judged on its own, This Virtual Night is an entertaining adventure/investigative romp through a space opera-y universe. While the ending is a little rushed, the suspense-building was successful enough to keep me reading almost straight through.

But as a follow-up to This Alien Shore, I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed. The (relative) realism of the hacker adventures in that book has been replaced by a more generic game-designer-turns-RL-adventurer here, and the interesting social commentary on human difference that came along with the Gueran society being explored in This Alien Shore is all but absent this time around.

Love the idea of the only real recurring character from the first book being a chunk of code though.

[Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

After doing a re-read of This Alien Shore, which was written in 1998 I was eager to dig into this one. It's a sequel, but written twenty plus years later. How would it hold up?

For the most part it does. While it's not as densely packed as the first book, and not nearly as forward thinking as that novel was, it's still a mostly enjoyable ride. Ironically this book feels more dated than the original and while it's more fun, it's not as clever. Still, I enjoyed the two characters and the journey they take even if it did wrap up a little too quickly in the end.

I've always been a fan of Friedman's work, and there was a lot to like here, but I still prefer This Alien Shore.

[Anshilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A return to the ‘universe’ of This Alien Shore and complete with a similar unwinding of a whose-the-real-bad-guy mystery, This Virtual Night focuses rather on our desire to control and shape the narrative of the world around us rather than a deep exploration of what it means to be human (as the first book did.) Good, solid Sci-fi, but the culture wasn’t as fascinating to explore as this sequel didn’t provide much more depth to what was set out in the first book, and the characters, while easily likable and heroic, weren’t the mysteries themselves as the protagonists in This Alien Shore proved to be. Would still very much recommend, and very much enjoyed.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great follow up to This Alien Shore

This was a great sequel, long in the making, of This Alien Shore. It was a delight to re-immerse myself in the Outrider world and especially pleasant because never did I expect a sequel. Friedman does a wonderful job of putting compelling characters into her stories and pulling all the threads together into a coherent tapestry. This book was another example of her ability to tell a great story of intrigue, suspense and action. One thing I would love to see more of is some kind of glossary or explanation of the different variants and the different Gueran variants. Can’t wait for the next book!

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was a fun and lighthearted read, and i enjoyed the imagery that the descriptions set up. however, i do feel like a good 3/4 of this book was mostly just introducing things and setting things up, while the last fourth of the book felt a bit rushed, as the author was trying to tie up loose ends. i also do feel like a lot of the worldbuilding was a bit incomplete, and could honestly do with a bit more explanation.

i'm also surprised that there's not a sequel to this book, because i feel like a lot of the characters could be fleshed out more, and i'm still curious as to what ivar's fate was.

[M.R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, Friedman's world building is so captivating. I will say I preferred the first one and it's ending because it was so shocking. I think the ending of this book would've had a stronger punch if Icelus had been a human, like in the first book, rather than an AI program. I missed the gut-wrenching betrayal that was present in the first book. That being said, I like the implications that it is its own species that it is now an enemy of deep space society. Micah and Ru were really enjoyable characters and I liked their ending. I wonder if there will be another book or if this is it?

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved and re-read "This Alien Shore" multiple times, but that was many years ago and it took me a little while to get back into the world of the Guerans and human variations. Once I did, this was great - essentially a stand-alone adventure about a game designer on the run from the law, trying to figure out why he's been accused of planting malware into one of his games, and getting himself into more and more trouble as he goes along. A fast paced adventure with some very tense action sequences and a satisfying conclusion.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

C.S. Friedman will always be one of my favorite authors so anything I review by her will be a bit biased. While not reaching the heights of her Coldfire Triology, This Virtual Night is a perfectly fine, easily read piece of SciFi. There is no dull part of this book (if anything, the ending is too abrupt). The ideas aren't mindblowing but interesting enough. The character dynamic is good. I would perhaps had preferred a different kind of adversary but that's more personal taste. I will read the next book in this series.

[interrupted.reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUMMARY: After an attack on a spacestation's life support system by two gamers, authorities scramble to find the game designer behind the attack.

I was very interested to read this second book by C.S. Friedman because I loved his first book of this universe, This Alien Shore. This was a good whodunit with a nice psychological twist, but also may have been a pandemic allegory, which is not my jam right now. Kept me reading right to the end though!

[Lane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book felt cinematic to me, but not in the expansive sense, more in the sense like I got the feeling the author wanted to write something that could be turned into a movie. And while it rocketed along at a fun pace, I still felt like it was a kinda thin but playful experience. It fleshes out some cool sci-fi concepts: virtual viruses disrupting reality, FTL causing genetic mutation, etc. But it didn't really break any new ground for me conceptually. Still a fun breezy beach kinda read?

[Katie Ipfritsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I missed this type of sci fi so bad! And CS Friedman’s books, cuz I’ve read them all already. I’m so happy she revisited this universe. It definitely could have been longer and felt rushed at points. This Alien shore is a more complete novel then this one. But I’ll take it and I’ll take more please!!

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neat, and very readable. The protagonists are adorable, the pace is good, the writing is good (but quite a few sentences were missing a word near the end of the book).

I only vaguely remember the first book, but it's the same sci-fi world, with human mutations and dangerous space travel and overly powerful corporations and data dumped directly into people's heads. Enjoyable.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a stand-alone book (I shall read the first one soon), but it works just as well by itself. At first, it was slow, but the next thing you know, I was staying up past midnight reading this book. Overall, it was really a good read, I'm looking forward to reading more from the author.

[Shahar · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you read "This Alien Shore", then this will be a must read. If you haven't, I suggest reading it before This Virtual Night, it will add so much more to the story (though both are stand alone in the same universe).
On a personal note, this book made 2020 a whole lot better for me.