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The Hereafter Bytes
Come for the cyberspace, stay for the laughs.
Come for the laughs, stay for the cyberspace.
Romeo is a digital copy of his dead bio self-a ghost-in a spindly robot body. When Romeo's friend Abigail-a dominatrix with a gift for uncovering secrets-tells Romeo she's at risk because of dangerous info from a client, Romeo agrees to help her investigate.
Pursued by digital Golden Retrievers and a real-world assassin, Romeo slips in and out of cyberspace in a madcap race for survival. Can he unmask the criminal who threatens the integrity of cyberspace and the real-world economy before it's too late?
Come for the laughs, stay for the cyberspace.
Romeo is a digital copy of his dead bio self-a ghost-in a spindly robot body. When Romeo's friend Abigail-a dominatrix with a gift for uncovering secrets-tells Romeo she's at risk because of dangerous info from a client, Romeo agrees to help her investigate.
Pursued by digital Golden Retrievers and a real-world assassin, Romeo slips in and out of cyberspace in a madcap race for survival. Can he unmask the criminal who threatens the integrity of cyberspace and the real-world economy before it's too late?
290 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 11, 2020
1 person is currently reading
298 people want to read
About the author
Vincent Scott
1 book8 followersVincent Scott tried writing his first novel at age eight and his first screenplay at age eleven. Fortunately for the world, all evidence of these works has been lost to time. After traveling the world, he can attest that people are very nice, when it’s convenient, and mostly do their best the rest of the time. He got a notoriously lucrative history degree in college. After knocking back dozens of six figure job offers, he settled on a safe career path as a novelist. If this whole writing thing doesn’t work out, he plans on joining a boyband and becoming the breakout solo act. Plan C is astronaut.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 2, 2020
"There was a time when I was just your run of the mill asexual college dropout, working at a server farm full of dead people, whose best friend is a dominatrix. Totally normal … okay, I mean, normality is subjective."
I had no idea a story about virtual reality and lawyers could be so much fun! I would have been satisfied with just the sassy robot bits, but this relatively quick read packs in existentialism, history, and baboons in Seattle. This debut novel delivers humorous escapism that will mess with your mind and alter your perspective on the "real" world.
I had no idea a story about virtual reality and lawyers could be so much fun! I would have been satisfied with just the sassy robot bits, but this relatively quick read packs in existentialism, history, and baboons in Seattle. This debut novel delivers humorous escapism that will mess with your mind and alter your perspective on the "real" world.
September 21, 2020
This laugh-out-loud debut is exactly what I needed in 2020. Follow Romeo, your awkward asexual college dropout who just happened to be in a ghastly accident that resulted in his consciousness being downloaded into a spindly robot body, and Abigail, his sassy dominatrix friend, as they investigate a hidden plot that threatens the world as they know it. The stakes are high and the shenanigans are aplenty. This book perfectly pairs a hilarious, fast-packed adventure while also engaging in a deeper conversation of what it means to be human in an increasingly technological world. Perfect for fans of Terry Pratchett and John Scalzi, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for some side-splitting, gleeful escapism.
August 11, 2020
(This review is cross-posted to LITCAST OF DOOM, and I was given this copy by the publisher in exchange for a review!)
Hey howdy hey, friends and fiends! It’s, uh. It’s been a minute, hasn’t it?
Look, I’ll shoot straight with you guys. Y’all know that my mental health is garbage, and being housebound for (*checks calendar*) five months and counting isn’t helping anything. I’m tired in that anxious sort of way where all I want to do is rest but I’m haunted by every activity that I need to do that isn’t sleeping. Not to mention I got real disillusioned, real quick, with SFF and its fandom as a whole there for a while.
But I’m getting better. Baby steps. And boy howdy am I glad to be en route to getting better. Because otherwise, I wouldn’t get to be here to talk about THE HEREAFTER BYTES by Vincent Scott.
Here’s our Goodreads summary:
Come for the cyberspace, stay for the laughs.
Come for the laughs, stay for the cyberspace
Romeo is a digital copy of his dead bio self—a ghost—in a spindly robot body. When Romeo’s friend Abigail—a dominatrix with a gift for uncovering secrets—tells Romeo she’s at risk because of dangerous info from a client, Romeo agrees to help her investigate.
Pursued by digital Golden Retrievers and a real-world assassin, Romeo slips in and out of cyberspace in a madcap race for survival. Can he unmask the criminal who threatens the integrity of cyberspace and the real-world economy before it’s too late?
The description doesn’t do it justice, honestly. I mean yeah, that’s what the story is on its surface level, but beneath the fun and campy adventure-based murder mystery, we get to a very deep theme, and one that I’m known to enjoy.
The theme of THERE HEREAFTER BYTES is, of course, personhood.
(Before someone comes crawling out of the woodwork to hiss pro-life in my ears, that’s a seperate can of worms. One that I have no intention of getting into. Seriously, I will Dr. Seuss your ass so hard. Go home and look up “bodily autonomy.”)
It’s no secret that I love books that ask the questions, “What does it mean to be a person? What does it mean to be human? Where does the line lie?” Between the flesh-and-blood humans and the digitally interred (known colloquially as “ghosts”), you would think that the line is nearly nonexistent, but Scott clearly says, “No, I don’t think so.”
I don’t want to spoil the defining moment of this, so you’re not getting the full context. But at one point, Romeo is confronted with the idea that a server exists with thousands of ghosts all be tortured. Despite knowing that their memories of the torture will be deleted, knowing that maybe they weren’t the best people, knowing that he currently lives in a world where digitally-existing people like himself aren’t viewed as having the same status as the living, he still wants to help them.
Simply because they’re still people. Different living situation, different needs to live, but still people all the same. And by god, it cuts to it in a way that doesn’t dither or make you have to draw your own conclusions – it leads by example. (Drawing conclusions is fun, of course, but sometimes you want someone to just say, “Hey guys, this is legitimately wrong and we shouldn’t do this.”)
We see this discussion of personhood not only through the eyes of someone who is technically deceases, but also someone who is asexual and aromantic. Someone who, while walking around in a flesh-and-blood human body, was told that he wasn’t human because he didn’t feel romantic or sexual feelings for anyone. It’s quite a critique, honestly, and as someone who is also ace, it’s nice to have someone point out the way society treats people who don’t fall within their ideal standard in terms of relationships.
That was a very long, drawn out way of pointing at Romeo and going, “Ha! I do that!”
What can I say? After years of seeing the Ace DiscHorse(c) everywhere and being silent about my own lack of attraction, it’s nice to see it in something fun and light.
Speaking of fun and light, the humor in this novel is top-fucking-notch my friends. I found myself chuckling quite a bit throughout the story, which is a nice change in pace let me tell you. That’s what most sci-fi is missing nowadays, really: people chiding others for not being able to find menus and then going, “Wait, no, I found it, I found it.” Like, I’m glad someone is using this for its full comedic energy.
At the end of the day, I would happily pass this book to anyone looking for something lighthearted and entertaining. It sparked a bit of joy in the grey landscape of my existence. It’s funny, but offers some depths to plunge beneath the humor. I’m literally trying to find all the best ways to say, “I really enjoyed this book for its lighthearted take on the serious topic of the line between humanity and personhood,” without actually losing any of the nuance, but that’s pretty much it. This book definitely gets 10 out of 10 from me, and I hope that you, too, can fit this book in your TBR so you can giggle about some AI-related humor.
We talk more about this in the podcast episode that’s gone live, so def check that out. But all in all, this book was a total vibe and it hit the right spot at the right time. THE HEREAFTER BYTES gets my stamp of approval.
–
AFTERLIFE BLUES IN THE HEREAFTER BYTES is out now on your favorite podcatcher! Don’t forget to find us on Twitter and Instagram to talk to us about what your digital self might be doing in the next hundred years! 😀
Hey howdy hey, friends and fiends! It’s, uh. It’s been a minute, hasn’t it?
Look, I’ll shoot straight with you guys. Y’all know that my mental health is garbage, and being housebound for (*checks calendar*) five months and counting isn’t helping anything. I’m tired in that anxious sort of way where all I want to do is rest but I’m haunted by every activity that I need to do that isn’t sleeping. Not to mention I got real disillusioned, real quick, with SFF and its fandom as a whole there for a while.
But I’m getting better. Baby steps. And boy howdy am I glad to be en route to getting better. Because otherwise, I wouldn’t get to be here to talk about THE HEREAFTER BYTES by Vincent Scott.
Here’s our Goodreads summary:
Come for the cyberspace, stay for the laughs.
Come for the laughs, stay for the cyberspace
Romeo is a digital copy of his dead bio self—a ghost—in a spindly robot body. When Romeo’s friend Abigail—a dominatrix with a gift for uncovering secrets—tells Romeo she’s at risk because of dangerous info from a client, Romeo agrees to help her investigate.
Pursued by digital Golden Retrievers and a real-world assassin, Romeo slips in and out of cyberspace in a madcap race for survival. Can he unmask the criminal who threatens the integrity of cyberspace and the real-world economy before it’s too late?
The description doesn’t do it justice, honestly. I mean yeah, that’s what the story is on its surface level, but beneath the fun and campy adventure-based murder mystery, we get to a very deep theme, and one that I’m known to enjoy.
The theme of THERE HEREAFTER BYTES is, of course, personhood.
(Before someone comes crawling out of the woodwork to hiss pro-life in my ears, that’s a seperate can of worms. One that I have no intention of getting into. Seriously, I will Dr. Seuss your ass so hard. Go home and look up “bodily autonomy.”)
It’s no secret that I love books that ask the questions, “What does it mean to be a person? What does it mean to be human? Where does the line lie?” Between the flesh-and-blood humans and the digitally interred (known colloquially as “ghosts”), you would think that the line is nearly nonexistent, but Scott clearly says, “No, I don’t think so.”
I don’t want to spoil the defining moment of this, so you’re not getting the full context. But at one point, Romeo is confronted with the idea that a server exists with thousands of ghosts all be tortured. Despite knowing that their memories of the torture will be deleted, knowing that maybe they weren’t the best people, knowing that he currently lives in a world where digitally-existing people like himself aren’t viewed as having the same status as the living, he still wants to help them.
Simply because they’re still people. Different living situation, different needs to live, but still people all the same. And by god, it cuts to it in a way that doesn’t dither or make you have to draw your own conclusions – it leads by example. (Drawing conclusions is fun, of course, but sometimes you want someone to just say, “Hey guys, this is legitimately wrong and we shouldn’t do this.”)
We see this discussion of personhood not only through the eyes of someone who is technically deceases, but also someone who is asexual and aromantic. Someone who, while walking around in a flesh-and-blood human body, was told that he wasn’t human because he didn’t feel romantic or sexual feelings for anyone. It’s quite a critique, honestly, and as someone who is also ace, it’s nice to have someone point out the way society treats people who don’t fall within their ideal standard in terms of relationships.
That was a very long, drawn out way of pointing at Romeo and going, “Ha! I do that!”
What can I say? After years of seeing the Ace DiscHorse(c) everywhere and being silent about my own lack of attraction, it’s nice to see it in something fun and light.
Speaking of fun and light, the humor in this novel is top-fucking-notch my friends. I found myself chuckling quite a bit throughout the story, which is a nice change in pace let me tell you. That’s what most sci-fi is missing nowadays, really: people chiding others for not being able to find menus and then going, “Wait, no, I found it, I found it.” Like, I’m glad someone is using this for its full comedic energy.
At the end of the day, I would happily pass this book to anyone looking for something lighthearted and entertaining. It sparked a bit of joy in the grey landscape of my existence. It’s funny, but offers some depths to plunge beneath the humor. I’m literally trying to find all the best ways to say, “I really enjoyed this book for its lighthearted take on the serious topic of the line between humanity and personhood,” without actually losing any of the nuance, but that’s pretty much it. This book definitely gets 10 out of 10 from me, and I hope that you, too, can fit this book in your TBR so you can giggle about some AI-related humor.
We talk more about this in the podcast episode that’s gone live, so def check that out. But all in all, this book was a total vibe and it hit the right spot at the right time. THE HEREAFTER BYTES gets my stamp of approval.
–
AFTERLIFE BLUES IN THE HEREAFTER BYTES is out now on your favorite podcatcher! Don’t forget to find us on Twitter and Instagram to talk to us about what your digital self might be doing in the next hundred years! 😀
May 10, 2022
4.5 stars rounded up for GR! Full review: http://letsgetgalactic.com/2020/10/27...
"Normality is subjective."
Anyone who has been following my blog for awhile knows that while I lean heavily into the horror genre, there are sprinklings here and there of others that I love as well, with science fiction being a huge one that I grew up enjoying. Give me a well-told story set in the future with fun technology we don't have yet and an action-packed plot, and I am in heaven.
In The Hereafter Bytes, we're introduced to Romeo, an asexual digital replica whose "bio self" is already dead when the story starts. Despite Romeo's character not being alive in the traditional sense, he practically leapt off the pages when I was reading, having the quirks and qualities of someone who is very clever, but also very awkward. I loved Romeo's 'voice' in the story, and found myself flipping through the pages of his wild story while laughing out loud at some of the hilarious things that he encounters. I especially enjoyed the dialogue in the book, which was always fast-paced and witty. Sarcasm in stories always wins my vote, and there's lots of it here!
When Romeo's best friend, a dominatrix entrepreneur named Abigail, comes to him with a big problem, he takes it upon himself to help her see it through. This choice ends up putting Romeo in danger from both digital bounty hunters and a super creepy assassin, who doesn't find it at all strange to be completely polite right before killing her mark. When I say this is a wild ride, I mean it: it's non-stop action and fun, with a little bit of social commentary thrown in for good measure.
The world building here was excellent and inventive, and I kind of wish some of the things the author created in the book really existed today. From "ex-GIFs" that allow you to experience whatever they're looping in real-time, to an AR-viewable street art program called Graffinity, there's just so much in the way of cool future-y stuff that I loved reading about. I could even see this book on the big screen - the conversations and funnily paced chase scenes especially would be so much fun to hear and watch!
Another thing I feel it's really important to mention here is that this is an #OwnVoices sci-fi book written by an Ace/Aro author. Representation in fiction and film and media is so impactful, and I can't stress how much I'd encourage everyone reading this review to try to step outside of their normal reading patterns (if they don't already include #OwnVoices work), and branch out! Reading characters written by folks who have lived some of their experiences adds a whole new layer of enjoyment to your page-turning, I swear!
Definitely check this one out if you're looking for a fun bit of page-turning escapism. This is such a unique debut, and I'm very happy to have added it to my 2020 reads!
The Hereafter Bytes is on sale this week in honor and celebration of #AceWeek, which runs from October 25th - October 31st. This year's event in particular is their 10th anniversary, which is a pretty big deal! To learn more about Ace Week & asexuality, follow this link: https://www.aceweek.org/
"Normality is subjective."
Anyone who has been following my blog for awhile knows that while I lean heavily into the horror genre, there are sprinklings here and there of others that I love as well, with science fiction being a huge one that I grew up enjoying. Give me a well-told story set in the future with fun technology we don't have yet and an action-packed plot, and I am in heaven.
In The Hereafter Bytes, we're introduced to Romeo, an asexual digital replica whose "bio self" is already dead when the story starts. Despite Romeo's character not being alive in the traditional sense, he practically leapt off the pages when I was reading, having the quirks and qualities of someone who is very clever, but also very awkward. I loved Romeo's 'voice' in the story, and found myself flipping through the pages of his wild story while laughing out loud at some of the hilarious things that he encounters. I especially enjoyed the dialogue in the book, which was always fast-paced and witty. Sarcasm in stories always wins my vote, and there's lots of it here!
When Romeo's best friend, a dominatrix entrepreneur named Abigail, comes to him with a big problem, he takes it upon himself to help her see it through. This choice ends up putting Romeo in danger from both digital bounty hunters and a super creepy assassin, who doesn't find it at all strange to be completely polite right before killing her mark. When I say this is a wild ride, I mean it: it's non-stop action and fun, with a little bit of social commentary thrown in for good measure.
The world building here was excellent and inventive, and I kind of wish some of the things the author created in the book really existed today. From "ex-GIFs" that allow you to experience whatever they're looping in real-time, to an AR-viewable street art program called Graffinity, there's just so much in the way of cool future-y stuff that I loved reading about. I could even see this book on the big screen - the conversations and funnily paced chase scenes especially would be so much fun to hear and watch!
Another thing I feel it's really important to mention here is that this is an #OwnVoices sci-fi book written by an Ace/Aro author. Representation in fiction and film and media is so impactful, and I can't stress how much I'd encourage everyone reading this review to try to step outside of their normal reading patterns (if they don't already include #OwnVoices work), and branch out! Reading characters written by folks who have lived some of their experiences adds a whole new layer of enjoyment to your page-turning, I swear!
Definitely check this one out if you're looking for a fun bit of page-turning escapism. This is such a unique debut, and I'm very happy to have added it to my 2020 reads!
The Hereafter Bytes is on sale this week in honor and celebration of #AceWeek, which runs from October 25th - October 31st. This year's event in particular is their 10th anniversary, which is a pretty big deal! To learn more about Ace Week & asexuality, follow this link: https://www.aceweek.org/
June 19, 2022
When a traffic accident kills Romeo's body he becomes a Digital American – a cyber copy of himself. He carries on working his job and hanging out with his best friend, Abigail. But then one day, things go very, very wrong. A polite assassin keeps trying to kill him, digital golden retrievers are hounding him, and Abigail's illegal copy of herself needs his help.
Sassy, snarky, and absurd with genuine heart. This surreal sci-fi novel is sure to put a smile on your face. Just try not to giggle when you're on the bus.
One star off for poor editing.
Sassy, snarky, and absurd with genuine heart. This surreal sci-fi novel is sure to put a smile on your face. Just try not to giggle when you're on the bus.
One star off for poor editing.
March 4, 2021
Romeo is a ghost. Literally, a digital copy of his personality inhabits the form of a delivery droid in a slightly future Seattle. When one of his human friends confesses that she's uncovered a secret as a result of her work--as a dominatrix--Romeo steps in to help, and soon is confronting mega-corporations inside and outside of cyberspace. Vincent Scott's zany rollercoaster of a novel is funny, action-packed, filled with sarcastic observations about capitalism and human behavior, and ultimately deeply heartwarming.
December 8, 2020
Vincent Scott's comedic sci-fi novel The Hereafter Bytes blends laugh-out-loud moments with thematic depth. Toss in colorful, memorable characters and some pulse-pounding action and you have a smart, funny, thought-provoking read.
September 30, 2020
It was an interesting story! The premises of virtual clones and its effect on society was interesting, and the main character was lovely.
October 28, 2020
A humorous adventure that never failed to keep me engaged and entertained!
June 25, 2022
Super fun! Super cute! A rollercoaster of giggles and action.
dnf
April 17, 2023April 2023, 6%: I should have known - to date, I have never liked a book that called itself "A funny X novel".
July 25, 2021
The Hereafter Bytes is a space opera wrapped in mystery inside the (now) digitized world of the dead.
Jumping into the action in the first few pages, The Hereafter Bytes takes the reader and Romeo, the protagonist, into a new world where the dead live, still have jobs, hang out with friends and become targets of high tech villains. So much for eternal rest.
While the characters in the book are fun, they are cliche heavy. However the approach works well in this case because the author embraces them, giving the reader free license to enjoy old school characters behaving badly with a syfy spin.
A lot of the humor in the book is laugh-out-loud funny, but the adage, "less is more" applies. Too often the humor is bogged down by being drawn out and going on and on--as a reader I found myself skipping sections. The world building was fantastic, especially with the explanations behind the technology. Very inventive and believable.
The Hereafter Bytes, a 369 page novel will appeal to those who loved Amazon Prime’s Upload (who didn't) and the more serious Netflix Altered Carbon (also fabulous).
Jumping into the action in the first few pages, The Hereafter Bytes takes the reader and Romeo, the protagonist, into a new world where the dead live, still have jobs, hang out with friends and become targets of high tech villains. So much for eternal rest.
While the characters in the book are fun, they are cliche heavy. However the approach works well in this case because the author embraces them, giving the reader free license to enjoy old school characters behaving badly with a syfy spin.
A lot of the humor in the book is laugh-out-loud funny, but the adage, "less is more" applies. Too often the humor is bogged down by being drawn out and going on and on--as a reader I found myself skipping sections. The world building was fantastic, especially with the explanations behind the technology. Very inventive and believable.
The Hereafter Bytes, a 369 page novel will appeal to those who loved Amazon Prime’s Upload (who didn't) and the more serious Netflix Altered Carbon (also fabulous).
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews