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Instant Reality #1
ARvekt
When the brain hackers abduct you, she's the one who saves you. But what if she can't save herself?
Tannis Ord is a black-ops cyborg assassin. A highly-trained human-weapon, dedicated to hunting down the last of the brain hacking syndicates.
There’s just one problem…
Her mind was broken from a psychotic episode. Neural reprogramming erased her trauma, gave her a fresh start. But when an old brain hacker cult resurfaces, and a sentient AI is set to govern the entire human population, she starts seeing things. Horrors nobody else can… Innocent citizens abducted from the streets in broad daylight. But is the AI behind it all? Now she doesn’t know which one to trust...
Her sanity?
Or reality itself?
Tannis Ord is a black-ops cyborg assassin. A highly-trained human-weapon, dedicated to hunting down the last of the brain hacking syndicates.
There’s just one problem…
Her mind was broken from a psychotic episode. Neural reprogramming erased her trauma, gave her a fresh start. But when an old brain hacker cult resurfaces, and a sentient AI is set to govern the entire human population, she starts seeing things. Horrors nobody else can… Innocent citizens abducted from the streets in broad daylight. But is the AI behind it all? Now she doesn’t know which one to trust...
Her sanity?
Or reality itself?
- GenresCyberpunkScience Fiction
ebook
First published June 12, 2020
7 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Craig Lea Gordon
12 books102 followersSubscribe to Craig's email list for a free copy of Hypercage, a Cyberpunk-Techno Thriller, with 4.3 stars from 33 reviews on Amazon US...
http://freestory.craigleagordon.com/h...
Craig Lea Gordon fell in love with Science Fiction at a very early age. His earliest memory is of bawling his eyes out on a Saturday morning when a shabby looking robot called Metal Mickey appeared on TV. It wasn't anything to do with the low budget production values, but instead because it had displaced Battle of the Planets, his favourite sci-fi program.
Shortly after he insisted that his parents christen their Ferguson Videostar by recording Battlestar Galactica. From the age of six, a good Christmas was defined by whether or not Star Wars was on TV. At 12 he made his Mum rent him a copy of Robocop, and he has never been the same since. Some say he has a hidden prime directive to create stories of a possible future.
http://freestory.craigleagordon.com/h...
Craig Lea Gordon fell in love with Science Fiction at a very early age. His earliest memory is of bawling his eyes out on a Saturday morning when a shabby looking robot called Metal Mickey appeared on TV. It wasn't anything to do with the low budget production values, but instead because it had displaced Battle of the Planets, his favourite sci-fi program.
Shortly after he insisted that his parents christen their Ferguson Videostar by recording Battlestar Galactica. From the age of six, a good Christmas was defined by whether or not Star Wars was on TV. At 12 he made his Mum rent him a copy of Robocop, and he has never been the same since. Some say he has a hidden prime directive to create stories of a possible future.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
June 16, 2020
I can see hints of The Matrix here, but there is sooo much more!
This is jam packed with action and intrigue.
I am stoked to get my hands on more in this world.
Much love to Craig Lea Gordon & Booksprout for hooking me up with this ARC!
This is jam packed with action and intrigue.
I am stoked to get my hands on more in this world.
Much love to Craig Lea Gordon & Booksprout for hooking me up with this ARC!
June 21, 2020
Set in a future England, Craig Lea Gordon’s debut novel is very effective contemporary science fiction. Described by the author as a techno-thriller, it incorporates many aspects familiar to those enthusiastic for the genre. Having previously read quite a few of Gordon’s short stories, I’m acquainted with his style, which manages to inject an immediacy into the material which keeps entertainment levels at a high.
With an engaging protagonist in the straight-talking and capable Tannis the novel opens with a great deal of intrigue, introducing the ideas that will form the backbone of the plot. As with most science fiction the element of conjecture regarding technology and its future utilisation are inescapable. Gordon tackles the theme of manipulation head on, questioning a highly augmented world where reality itself is a tool for those who might wish to mould it to their benefit.
Gordon is particularly adept at action scenes. The action here is militaristic in parts, gloriously choreographed overall, and vividly depicted. As with Gordon’s previously released short stories, there is real visual flair in what he does, with his heaviest influences obviously being classic science fiction film. I do gravitate to the horror elements he incorporates, and here there are some chilling passages.
One aspect where Gordon has excelled is character. Every character has depth, even those that play a lesser part, and the central cast are excellently drawn. They are characters who inspire interest, and I would’ve been completely happy to wander off with any of them, just to follow what they were up to. As essential with science fiction especially the world built has to be immediate, consistent, and convincing. Gordon’s debut novel takes familiar cyberpunk landscapes and infuses them with such enthusiasm and unmitigated appreciation that it’s hard to resist. Recommended for those who are a fan of entertaining mainstream science fiction that brings freshness to beloved classic themes.
With an engaging protagonist in the straight-talking and capable Tannis the novel opens with a great deal of intrigue, introducing the ideas that will form the backbone of the plot. As with most science fiction the element of conjecture regarding technology and its future utilisation are inescapable. Gordon tackles the theme of manipulation head on, questioning a highly augmented world where reality itself is a tool for those who might wish to mould it to their benefit.
Gordon is particularly adept at action scenes. The action here is militaristic in parts, gloriously choreographed overall, and vividly depicted. As with Gordon’s previously released short stories, there is real visual flair in what he does, with his heaviest influences obviously being classic science fiction film. I do gravitate to the horror elements he incorporates, and here there are some chilling passages.
One aspect where Gordon has excelled is character. Every character has depth, even those that play a lesser part, and the central cast are excellently drawn. They are characters who inspire interest, and I would’ve been completely happy to wander off with any of them, just to follow what they were up to. As essential with science fiction especially the world built has to be immediate, consistent, and convincing. Gordon’s debut novel takes familiar cyberpunk landscapes and infuses them with such enthusiasm and unmitigated appreciation that it’s hard to resist. Recommended for those who are a fan of entertaining mainstream science fiction that brings freshness to beloved classic themes.
June 3, 2020
This is a retro cyberpunk actioner like is so popular with the kids these days; and as someone who was a big fan of the original cyberpunk genre when it first appeared in the '80s and '90s, I'm glad to see a new appreciation for what I think is a very clever style of storytelling. Here, Gordon is heavy on the military/chase-scene side, describing a complex mythos whose most interesting feature is a layer of augmented reality that's been slapped on the surface of every real thing in the physical world, as if the entire scenery around you had been wrapped in a Michael Bay movie that you can't look away from. It's never going to win the Hugo Award, but it's a solid-enough thriller for heavy readers of the genre, especially convention goers since Gordon means for this to be volume 1 of a new series. That's exactly what this novel feels like, a book you would expect from one of those authors you party with at all the science-fiction conventions; that's neither good nor bad, just a reflection of who will like it the most. That would typically get it 3 1/2 stars from me, rounded up to 4 here at the no-half-point Goodreads.
March 23, 2022
Action-heavy cyberpunk with a healthy dash of reality-warping PKD sauce. Comparisons to the Matrix are understandable given the machine-gun-cartwheel and bullet-time references in the opening scene, but I think it's more the case that ARvekt and the Matrix share common ancestors - specifically Neuromancer and Ghost in the Shell. Gordon delivers on his cyberpunk promises - lots of glowy things, lots of detailed military tech, lots of brain crashes. And all the action is centred around a twisty political conspiracy that provides plenty of mystery to drive the story forward. If you enjoyed playing Deus Ex or Cyberpunk 2077 and you fancy getting punched in the mouth by their roided-out cousin, this is a fantastic place to start.
September 21, 2022
ARVEKT by Craig Lea Gordon is a kinetic action-filled cyberpunk thriller that I absolutely love. If anyone anything about me, they'll know that I am a huge fan of the cyberpunk genre. It is my favorite thing to read and write alongside superhero fiction. However, there's a lot of what I term to be "falsely advertised" cyberpunk that claims to be about the gritty dark dystopian futures of the world with transhumanist themes but is usually just Lit-RPG by another name. There's plenty of good Lit-RPG out there but very little of it is cyberpunk.
I'm pleased to say Arkvekt is the exception to this rule as it is a fantastic novel that is square within the hole of what I consider to be "true cyberpunk." It is a bit more Ghost in the Shell than William Gibson but I don't consider that a bad thing. Cyberpunk can be a bunch of crazy borged-out ninjas fighting government conspiracies just as much as it can be dark and skeevy alleyways where people have more implants than food.
The premise is that Tannis Ord is a young soldier working for a mysterious black ops organization that protects the world from hackers as well as AI cultists and terrorists. It's a brutal business and Tannis has a history of mental illness that has seemingly not stood in her way of continuing to serve as their assassin. Apparently, the Director just thinks they can erase the trauma and related issues with a wave of their hand.
Something is rotten in the state of the future, though, and Tannis can't help but question her reality. In what is probably a nod to The Matrix but actually the more practical Augmented Reality, she struggles with seeing things that are not there as well as gaps in her memory. It could be related to her previous breakdowns or it might be her mind rebelling against the reality that she has been presented.
Tannis is not the only character, though, and there's multiple other interesting individuals trying to deal with the sense that things are not as they seem. My favorite is a Senator for the world government that is absolutely hell bent against giving the control of the world to the mysterious Ix that already runs the vast majority of the world's functions. Indeed, I like that he's as perplexed as anyone as to why so many people want to do it in the first place.
Arvekt is a book filled with twists, turns, fake-outs, and illusions. Many times I thought I had a handle on where the book was going, only for it to surprise me by revealing it was going someplace entirely different. I occasionally got lost in the technology and jargon but that helped make the book feel like it was taking place in a wholly different world. The story beats were also good and resolved themselves in a satisfying faction.
As an example of "true" cyberpunk, I feel this is definitely more on the anime side of things versus the noir but that's not a bad thing. It's full of interesting concepts ranging from spirituality to the Singularity that get tossed into a blender of katana-swinging action. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy then this is the book for you.
I'm pleased to say Arkvekt is the exception to this rule as it is a fantastic novel that is square within the hole of what I consider to be "true cyberpunk." It is a bit more Ghost in the Shell than William Gibson but I don't consider that a bad thing. Cyberpunk can be a bunch of crazy borged-out ninjas fighting government conspiracies just as much as it can be dark and skeevy alleyways where people have more implants than food.
The premise is that Tannis Ord is a young soldier working for a mysterious black ops organization that protects the world from hackers as well as AI cultists and terrorists. It's a brutal business and Tannis has a history of mental illness that has seemingly not stood in her way of continuing to serve as their assassin. Apparently, the Director just thinks they can erase the trauma and related issues with a wave of their hand.
Something is rotten in the state of the future, though, and Tannis can't help but question her reality. In what is probably a nod to The Matrix but actually the more practical Augmented Reality, she struggles with seeing things that are not there as well as gaps in her memory. It could be related to her previous breakdowns or it might be her mind rebelling against the reality that she has been presented.
Tannis is not the only character, though, and there's multiple other interesting individuals trying to deal with the sense that things are not as they seem. My favorite is a Senator for the world government that is absolutely hell bent against giving the control of the world to the mysterious Ix that already runs the vast majority of the world's functions. Indeed, I like that he's as perplexed as anyone as to why so many people want to do it in the first place.
Arvekt is a book filled with twists, turns, fake-outs, and illusions. Many times I thought I had a handle on where the book was going, only for it to surprise me by revealing it was going someplace entirely different. I occasionally got lost in the technology and jargon but that helped make the book feel like it was taking place in a wholly different world. The story beats were also good and resolved themselves in a satisfying faction.
As an example of "true" cyberpunk, I feel this is definitely more on the anime side of things versus the noir but that's not a bad thing. It's full of interesting concepts ranging from spirituality to the Singularity that get tossed into a blender of katana-swinging action. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy then this is the book for you.
June 12, 2020
I received an ARC from the author and I voluntarily decided to write a review.
Mind. Blown.
I’d been eager to get my hands on this book ever since I read the prequel, Hypercage, back in 2016. Actually, it’s not necessary to read the prequel in order to follow what’s going on in ARvekt, but HIGHLY recommend it because it’s so good, and you’ll meet Hypercage’s protagonist briefly in ARvekt—which I found so rewarding because I’d been wondering what the heck happened to him. Spoiler alert: it’s something horrible.
So, about ARvekt. WOW. This was the most intense and mind-bending story I've read in a long time. I’m still in the process of getting my brain back online; I think it got a little fried while reading. If you enjoy immersion in action-packed cyberpunk future shock, this book is a must read!
I LOVED the main character, Tannis. She’s a total badass agent to whom fighting seems to come as naturally as breathing. But something’s a little off in her head. Not too long ago, she had a psychotic episode and killed her partner, after which her brain was reprogrammed. Now, she’s supposed to be fine, but as Tannis starts seeing things that other people can’t see, we’re all wondering if she’s going insane (again) or if there’s something wrong with the reality as we see it. I enjoyed this premise immensely. A cool heroine who’s gone psycho in the past? Yes please, tell me more!
The reality in ARvekt is a whole other can of worms. Every human being is connected to augmented reality through brain implants. On first glance the AR seems to simply provide nice effects such as whales swimming in the air, but it’s also being used to cover up a whole lot of creepy stuff with the fate of the entire human race at stake. I found myself wondering alongside Tannis what was real and what wasn’t. I loved feeling overwhelmed and disoriented by the visuals as I read: it was like a roller coaster ride on acid.
And did I mention there’s a ton of breathtaking action?
This book tells one complete story, so there’s a satisfying ending (I won’t spoil it here, but the ending contained my all-time favorite scenario related to scifi/cyberpunk, so excuse me while I swoon…), but there’s also a teaser for the next book, which made me so excited because I want more. I can’t wait for the next one!
Mind. Blown.
I’d been eager to get my hands on this book ever since I read the prequel, Hypercage, back in 2016. Actually, it’s not necessary to read the prequel in order to follow what’s going on in ARvekt, but HIGHLY recommend it because it’s so good, and you’ll meet Hypercage’s protagonist briefly in ARvekt—which I found so rewarding because I’d been wondering what the heck happened to him. Spoiler alert: it’s something horrible.
So, about ARvekt. WOW. This was the most intense and mind-bending story I've read in a long time. I’m still in the process of getting my brain back online; I think it got a little fried while reading. If you enjoy immersion in action-packed cyberpunk future shock, this book is a must read!
I LOVED the main character, Tannis. She’s a total badass agent to whom fighting seems to come as naturally as breathing. But something’s a little off in her head. Not too long ago, she had a psychotic episode and killed her partner, after which her brain was reprogrammed. Now, she’s supposed to be fine, but as Tannis starts seeing things that other people can’t see, we’re all wondering if she’s going insane (again) or if there’s something wrong with the reality as we see it. I enjoyed this premise immensely. A cool heroine who’s gone psycho in the past? Yes please, tell me more!
The reality in ARvekt is a whole other can of worms. Every human being is connected to augmented reality through brain implants. On first glance the AR seems to simply provide nice effects such as whales swimming in the air, but it’s also being used to cover up a whole lot of creepy stuff with the fate of the entire human race at stake. I found myself wondering alongside Tannis what was real and what wasn’t. I loved feeling overwhelmed and disoriented by the visuals as I read: it was like a roller coaster ride on acid.
And did I mention there’s a ton of breathtaking action?
This book tells one complete story, so there’s a satisfying ending (I won’t spoil it here, but the ending contained my all-time favorite scenario related to scifi/cyberpunk, so excuse me while I swoon…), but there’s also a teaser for the next book, which made me so excited because I want more. I can’t wait for the next one!
June 10, 2020
Wow what a story. Unbelievable to think this could be reality. I was totally gripped by the characters and the plot. Magnificent.
May 20, 2022
Brain hackers?!?! Yup. I found the premise of the book both intriguing and downright frightening. Wetware implants from birth, a supreme AI overlord who controls everything, even your perception of reality. How do you ever know what’s real?
Written in 3rd person, past tense, dual POV, ARvekt is a pretty solid AI SF novel. It gives the reader a lot to think about in terms of our reliance in technology and what would happen if we actually introduced AI into the world. Stephen Hawking warned that artificial intelligence could end mankind, so we should probably listen to him. If you don’t agree with Dr. Hawking then read this book. Very good chance it’ll change your mind.
The holographic overlays in London and the shape shifting weapons were pretty cool. A bit of scientific magic, if you will.
My overall take away from the story is that bad/strange things happen when you put too much faith in technology. Rage against the machines my friends!
If you like AI, techno-military thrillers, and lots of battle scenes, then you will love this book!
Written in 3rd person, past tense, dual POV, ARvekt is a pretty solid AI SF novel. It gives the reader a lot to think about in terms of our reliance in technology and what would happen if we actually introduced AI into the world. Stephen Hawking warned that artificial intelligence could end mankind, so we should probably listen to him. If you don’t agree with Dr. Hawking then read this book. Very good chance it’ll change your mind.
The holographic overlays in London and the shape shifting weapons were pretty cool. A bit of scientific magic, if you will.
My overall take away from the story is that bad/strange things happen when you put too much faith in technology. Rage against the machines my friends!
If you like AI, techno-military thrillers, and lots of battle scenes, then you will love this book!
May 10, 2021
The main character, Tannis
From the first book in this series to this book, as soon as we’re introduced to new character Tannis, I wasn’t as interested since I felt she hadn’t been introduced properly, but it later became clear she was an action-first–personality-later type of character with a troubled past – and mental state – and that later made sense to me. The prose is a lot to take in – you feel like you’re plugged in – but it’s clear Tannis is a futuristic cop rooting out a group of criminal hackers who hack people’s brains, of all things. She works for some secret department and takes orders from an AI called Ix, a colour shifting entity whose voice changes gender but we remember her best as female.
There is more than meets the eye, as you could have guessed. Is reality real? Is Tannis psychotic or is she being fed lies? Is there really a conspiracy or is it in her head? Why does she keep blacking out? Why does she sense that what she’s seeing just doesn’t make sense? I liked these questions posed as they gave the story more depth, but what really gave it depth were the descriptions, making you feel you’re in a 3D world not dissimilar from the movie Alita or the series Ghost in the Shell.
‘Like a bright roll of silk thrown in the distance. Giant lily pads floated on its surface … thousands of them constantly ascending into the night sky.’
‘The last vestiges of the weapon platform jutting out of the top of the Thames, its rusting form a stark reminder of how close they came to losing that day.’
Ix, the AI
So, there is this AI called Ix that appears benevolent and all knowing at first, perhaps like that model of Alexa you have at home! Not too many chapters in we learn she’s demanding more powers. As soon as the reader knows of this, we suspect we’re up for a power grabbing experience or a conspiracy on a huge scale and the author makes no secret of this. Keep reading, I implore you! It was easy for me to assume how it was going to end …
Criticism
Sometimes I lost sight of where the character was in relation to other objects or situations. Sometimes all the action happened too quickly.
Overall
ARvekt wasn’t too convoluted or derivative as some works in this genre are. You read it having felt like it was unique in its own right, and it does twist the genre in different ways. It felt like a complex multi-coloured video game and to say the story had colour is no understatement: the scenes were vivid and I remember many of them now, a month after reading. ARvekt was a treasured experience and I recommend readers give it that go, which you won’t regret (unless you’re miserable?).
From the first book in this series to this book, as soon as we’re introduced to new character Tannis, I wasn’t as interested since I felt she hadn’t been introduced properly, but it later became clear she was an action-first–personality-later type of character with a troubled past – and mental state – and that later made sense to me. The prose is a lot to take in – you feel like you’re plugged in – but it’s clear Tannis is a futuristic cop rooting out a group of criminal hackers who hack people’s brains, of all things. She works for some secret department and takes orders from an AI called Ix, a colour shifting entity whose voice changes gender but we remember her best as female.
There is more than meets the eye, as you could have guessed. Is reality real? Is Tannis psychotic or is she being fed lies? Is there really a conspiracy or is it in her head? Why does she keep blacking out? Why does she sense that what she’s seeing just doesn’t make sense? I liked these questions posed as they gave the story more depth, but what really gave it depth were the descriptions, making you feel you’re in a 3D world not dissimilar from the movie Alita or the series Ghost in the Shell.
‘Like a bright roll of silk thrown in the distance. Giant lily pads floated on its surface … thousands of them constantly ascending into the night sky.’
‘The last vestiges of the weapon platform jutting out of the top of the Thames, its rusting form a stark reminder of how close they came to losing that day.’
Ix, the AI
So, there is this AI called Ix that appears benevolent and all knowing at first, perhaps like that model of Alexa you have at home! Not too many chapters in we learn she’s demanding more powers. As soon as the reader knows of this, we suspect we’re up for a power grabbing experience or a conspiracy on a huge scale and the author makes no secret of this. Keep reading, I implore you! It was easy for me to assume how it was going to end …
Criticism
Sometimes I lost sight of where the character was in relation to other objects or situations. Sometimes all the action happened too quickly.
Overall
ARvekt wasn’t too convoluted or derivative as some works in this genre are. You read it having felt like it was unique in its own right, and it does twist the genre in different ways. It felt like a complex multi-coloured video game and to say the story had colour is no understatement: the scenes were vivid and I remember many of them now, a month after reading. ARvekt was a treasured experience and I recommend readers give it that go, which you won’t regret (unless you’re miserable?).
June 11, 2020
Fantastic futuristic thriller that will bend your mind to breaking point! Tannis is a badass agent fighting brain-hackers that are stealing people's minds. Or so she thought. But is any of it real? Maybe her memory is being manipulated; after all, her brain, like everyone else's, is connected from birth to a massive AI. Slowly Tannis starts to question the motives of this all-controlling AI. The problem is, she has no way to keep her thoughts private, and no way to trust her own memories and experiences. Can she save herself - and humanity - from complete insanity? This is a fantastic thrill ride where your own mind can betray you at any moment. Tech-heads will love this one!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2020
The fast-moving story telling style helps to catch all mandatory things such as VR, AR, AI, some source of hacking technique, and things you need for the book more quickly in very first chapters. Although things go fast, its details are still enjoyable. If you have VR experience, the story will make you more immersive. In each chapter you read, you will dig deeper into the thing called reality.
This book reminds me a lot of characters in great stories I never expected. If you are looking for another great book in sci-fi, thriller and modern genre, this is the one.
This book reminds me a lot of characters in great stories I never expected. If you are looking for another great book in sci-fi, thriller and modern genre, this is the one.
June 10, 2020
A very enjoyable and fast moving story with good action sequences and an interesting plot. The lead character is well drawn and the world it is set in is well realised. I look forward to continuing the story in the next installment of the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 27, 2020
Don't trust what you see!
Yes - cyber tech, cyber war and virtual world: check, check, check!
Interesting characters: check.
Interesting plot line: check!
The novel starts out by charting one path through the world (is it real?) through permutations that have you reeling as to where the novel is going or how it's getting there.
It starts out strong and ends up stronger!
By way of disclosure - I received a copy by way of a book giveaway.
Yes - cyber tech, cyber war and virtual world: check, check, check!
Interesting characters: check.
Interesting plot line: check!
The novel starts out by charting one path through the world (is it real?) through permutations that have you reeling as to where the novel is going or how it's getting there.
It starts out strong and ends up stronger!
By way of disclosure - I received a copy by way of a book giveaway.
June 27, 2020
I received this ebook in exchange for an honest review. This book dives right in to a high tech future and doesn't really take a break. Reminiscent of Black Mirror, you explore a world full of constant connection and stimulus where a series of ritualistic brain hacking murders are just the tip of the iceberg. Action packed all the way through.
May 27, 2020
ARkvet - a review by Rosemary Kenny
What a(nother) great short story from Master of the What If...? future scenario specialist, Craig Lea Gordon.
With a strong flavour of The Matrix, with hints of eXistenZ and a soupcon of The Hunger Games.
ARkvet has a strong female lead in Tannis, who becomes a Neo/Trinity/Katniss Everdeen-like rebel leader, (after initially being a model citizen) though as the clever storyline unfolds, overcoming the ruling elite figure, their supporters and neuroscientists becomes more vital than ever before.
Strong secondary characters, plenty of gritty action and succinct but satisfying dialogue and scenarios - ARkvet is Book #1 of Craig Lea Gordon's Instant Reality series, of new and re-edited gems, that will whisk you a world away from your Covid-19 fears and your Lockdown Blues - don't miss it at any cost!
What a(nother) great short story from Master of the What If...? future scenario specialist, Craig Lea Gordon.
With a strong flavour of The Matrix, with hints of eXistenZ and a soupcon of The Hunger Games.
ARkvet has a strong female lead in Tannis, who becomes a Neo/Trinity/Katniss Everdeen-like rebel leader, (after initially being a model citizen) though as the clever storyline unfolds, overcoming the ruling elite figure, their supporters and neuroscientists becomes more vital than ever before.
Strong secondary characters, plenty of gritty action and succinct but satisfying dialogue and scenarios - ARkvet is Book #1 of Craig Lea Gordon's Instant Reality series, of new and re-edited gems, that will whisk you a world away from your Covid-19 fears and your Lockdown Blues - don't miss it at any cost!
August 30, 2023
I'm going to be a bit harsh and nitpicky because Cyberpunk is my favorite thing ever, and because it's hard to find within the entirety of Sci Fi which makes it even more painful when you find something that fills the niche and it sucks.
Let's get right to it - the writing here is lazy, sloppy, and shallow. It feels like the authors only point of reference to Cyberpunk (and possibly Sci Fi at large) is Anime. The writing is all style over substance - it feels like the author made choices based on what would look cool if it were on a screen versus whether it makes any sense or fits together. To his credit, I did find it easy to visualize most of the story in my head playing out as an anime, so props for that. But I don't get a sense of depth from any part of the story beyond that sort of surface level coolness; none of the ideas or concepts are delved into deeply which, in many instances, results in the feeling that they were included simply because "this an element of cyberpunk, so therefore it should be in my story".
The biggest sin here is that stuff just doesn't make sense. This type of story is centered entirely around tech and therefore it's imperative that the author understand (or at least fool the reader into thinking they understand) the tech in order to convey it in a way that has meaning and impact. Unfortunately, I don't get the impression that the author spent much effort thinking about how the tech in this world works nor how it interconnects with and impacts everything else.
For example: in the opening scene the main character has some sort of nano/smart-matter weapon that reconfigures (instantaneously of course) to 3 entirely different types of weapon in the span of one battle. Sure that looks cool, but how does this work? The weapons are different sizes, where does the extra material go? It becomes two different types of guns- what is it shooting? Bullets? If so where are they stored; does she keep different caliber/types of bullets for the different weapons? How is the weapon loaded? If they're not shooting different types of bullets than why would it need to change from one gun to another? If not bullets than is the nanomaterial itself forming into projectiles, if so than it would be losing part of itself with every shot. It has to be shooting SOMETHING, it can't create mass out of nothing. Additionally, if this level of nano/smartmatter is readily available (it's not mentioned that her weapon is unique) than we should assume this level of tech would be used everywhere - everyone should have weapons/armor/etc. that work just like this, all the buildings, vehicles etc. would utilize this kind of tech, yet it's not mentioned elsewhere. I know I'm being nitpicky but these sort of ideas and concepts are the cornerstone for this type of tech-based story, if you can't explain this kind of stuff or think about the in-world implications of the tech you introduce than the story feels flat and insipid.
The other tech-related thing that annoys me is that with the world being run by Ix the AI (this itself is already hard enough to swallow) there is a ubiquitous level of surveillance which renders the main character's organization entirely pointless. They will go to isolated crime scenes (e.g. an abandoned church) to figure out what happened and why, yet somehow have a level of surveillance so comprehensive that they can play an accurate simulation of the entire event. They are also able to fully ID people on sight (like in Cyberpunk 2077). Ok, so if there is this level of surveillance in an ABANDONED building than there must be even better surveillance in the rest of the world. It should be simple to ID every person at every crime and just find video of them leading up to the event. Then just follow their digital footprint (chats, purchases, etc.) to find out what they were doing and why, leading up the crime. Since Ix controls all the worlds networks, it would already have access to and knowledge of all this stuff, why do you even need people? Why not monitor and alert people before the crime happens since these things are obviously planned in advanced and there would likely be a digital footprint indicating the course of action. This doesn't even require speculation on future tech, this level of tech is already in production, we just don't have a high level AI with boundless authority monitoring it. And if Ix is actually limited to the extent that it doesn't have said access/knowledge, than how is it simultaneously "running the world"?
Also why do they bring giant mechs with them to every crime scene despite there never being any action? Oh right, cause this looked cool in Ghost In The Shell.
Additionally, there is also a council of some kind that apparently runs earth. It is lead by 12 senators and the AI Ix. Uh, how does that work exactly? Why does Russia get its own senator but not every country? How are the rest of the countries grouped? I find it next to impossible for that to make sense on any level.
Last nitpick (there are more but this review is too long as is): I love cults-- I love blood cults and I love techno cults, but the one in this book annoys me. You have a techno-cult who worships technology and wants to conjure up an AI yet they seem to hold blood (blood-letting, drinking blood, etc. which is supposed to tie into the conjuration of the AI...what???) as being sacred? This is oxymoronic. Blood has no significance to a machine or digital lifeform. A cult based around a technological concept/entity would hold, well, technology sacred: implants, cybernetics, VR, biohacking, etc. Especially in a world where advanced tech and VR is everywhere, Blood as a sacred item/concept/symbol would make sense for a reality/nature/primitive-focused cult who values the physical aspects of humanity, which is literally the opposite of a cult who worships AI. Again, this feels like an "I saw something similar in an anime and I bet it would look really cool" decision.
Anyhow, I could overlook most of the above if the story, or at least the prose, itself was well written and compelling as the fundamental elements themselves are fine. Futuristic weapons and augmentation: cool. Mechs: cool. Weird cults: cool. Extreme violence and gore: cool. Mindfuck Augmented Reality-based storyline: cool. But sadly, even at it's very best the writing barely makes it to average. This book is in desperate need of better editing-- there are numerous places with errors (word missing, word should have been removed, a line references a thing but the thing wasn't actually mentioned e.g. "that must be the leader" yet it was not mentioned there was a person there); there are also a large number of places where the writing should have been tightened up (e.g. the author will say two things in a row that mean the same thing, or the first thing already implies the second thing; many sentences just feel awkward and should have been re-worded; and the constant repetition of the same words/descriptions: I think the phrase "dissolved into millions of voxels" is used about 9000 times). The prose is largely bland and uninspired. The dialogue is generally terrible and none of the characters are fleshed out. Here is an example of 80% of the dialogue:
Someone other than Tannis: "Hey Tannis you don't seem to be doing too well, are you ok?"
Tannis: I'm fine"
Someone: "Ok"
repeat 2-4x per chapter.
I gave this one a real shot, but I DNF'd about halfway through. The "deeper" we get into the story the dumber it gets so I can't imagine the story miraculously turning everything around to somehow make sense. The only way I see that happening is a sort of hand wavy "oh the AI controlled everything and it was fake along so it was MEANT to not make sense!" True S-tier storytelling right there. Oh well. The search for good cyberpunk continues.
Let's get right to it - the writing here is lazy, sloppy, and shallow. It feels like the authors only point of reference to Cyberpunk (and possibly Sci Fi at large) is Anime. The writing is all style over substance - it feels like the author made choices based on what would look cool if it were on a screen versus whether it makes any sense or fits together. To his credit, I did find it easy to visualize most of the story in my head playing out as an anime, so props for that. But I don't get a sense of depth from any part of the story beyond that sort of surface level coolness; none of the ideas or concepts are delved into deeply which, in many instances, results in the feeling that they were included simply because "this an element of cyberpunk, so therefore it should be in my story".
The biggest sin here is that stuff just doesn't make sense. This type of story is centered entirely around tech and therefore it's imperative that the author understand (or at least fool the reader into thinking they understand) the tech in order to convey it in a way that has meaning and impact. Unfortunately, I don't get the impression that the author spent much effort thinking about how the tech in this world works nor how it interconnects with and impacts everything else.
For example: in the opening scene the main character has some sort of nano/smart-matter weapon that reconfigures (instantaneously of course) to 3 entirely different types of weapon in the span of one battle. Sure that looks cool, but how does this work? The weapons are different sizes, where does the extra material go? It becomes two different types of guns- what is it shooting? Bullets? If so where are they stored; does she keep different caliber/types of bullets for the different weapons? How is the weapon loaded? If they're not shooting different types of bullets than why would it need to change from one gun to another? If not bullets than is the nanomaterial itself forming into projectiles, if so than it would be losing part of itself with every shot. It has to be shooting SOMETHING, it can't create mass out of nothing. Additionally, if this level of nano/smartmatter is readily available (it's not mentioned that her weapon is unique) than we should assume this level of tech would be used everywhere - everyone should have weapons/armor/etc. that work just like this, all the buildings, vehicles etc. would utilize this kind of tech, yet it's not mentioned elsewhere. I know I'm being nitpicky but these sort of ideas and concepts are the cornerstone for this type of tech-based story, if you can't explain this kind of stuff or think about the in-world implications of the tech you introduce than the story feels flat and insipid.
The other tech-related thing that annoys me is that with the world being run by Ix the AI (this itself is already hard enough to swallow) there is a ubiquitous level of surveillance which renders the main character's organization entirely pointless. They will go to isolated crime scenes (e.g. an abandoned church) to figure out what happened and why, yet somehow have a level of surveillance so comprehensive that they can play an accurate simulation of the entire event. They are also able to fully ID people on sight (like in Cyberpunk 2077). Ok, so if there is this level of surveillance in an ABANDONED building than there must be even better surveillance in the rest of the world. It should be simple to ID every person at every crime and just find video of them leading up to the event. Then just follow their digital footprint (chats, purchases, etc.) to find out what they were doing and why, leading up the crime. Since Ix controls all the worlds networks, it would already have access to and knowledge of all this stuff, why do you even need people? Why not monitor and alert people before the crime happens since these things are obviously planned in advanced and there would likely be a digital footprint indicating the course of action. This doesn't even require speculation on future tech, this level of tech is already in production, we just don't have a high level AI with boundless authority monitoring it. And if Ix is actually limited to the extent that it doesn't have said access/knowledge, than how is it simultaneously "running the world"?
Also why do they bring giant mechs with them to every crime scene despite there never being any action? Oh right, cause this looked cool in Ghost In The Shell.
Additionally, there is also a council of some kind that apparently runs earth. It is lead by 12 senators and the AI Ix. Uh, how does that work exactly? Why does Russia get its own senator but not every country? How are the rest of the countries grouped? I find it next to impossible for that to make sense on any level.
Last nitpick (there are more but this review is too long as is): I love cults-- I love blood cults and I love techno cults, but the one in this book annoys me. You have a techno-cult who worships technology and wants to conjure up an AI yet they seem to hold blood (blood-letting, drinking blood, etc. which is supposed to tie into the conjuration of the AI...what???) as being sacred? This is oxymoronic. Blood has no significance to a machine or digital lifeform. A cult based around a technological concept/entity would hold, well, technology sacred: implants, cybernetics, VR, biohacking, etc. Especially in a world where advanced tech and VR is everywhere, Blood as a sacred item/concept/symbol would make sense for a reality/nature/primitive-focused cult who values the physical aspects of humanity, which is literally the opposite of a cult who worships AI. Again, this feels like an "I saw something similar in an anime and I bet it would look really cool" decision.
Anyhow, I could overlook most of the above if the story, or at least the prose, itself was well written and compelling as the fundamental elements themselves are fine. Futuristic weapons and augmentation: cool. Mechs: cool. Weird cults: cool. Extreme violence and gore: cool. Mindfuck Augmented Reality-based storyline: cool. But sadly, even at it's very best the writing barely makes it to average. This book is in desperate need of better editing-- there are numerous places with errors (word missing, word should have been removed, a line references a thing but the thing wasn't actually mentioned e.g. "that must be the leader" yet it was not mentioned there was a person there); there are also a large number of places where the writing should have been tightened up (e.g. the author will say two things in a row that mean the same thing, or the first thing already implies the second thing; many sentences just feel awkward and should have been re-worded; and the constant repetition of the same words/descriptions: I think the phrase "dissolved into millions of voxels" is used about 9000 times). The prose is largely bland and uninspired. The dialogue is generally terrible and none of the characters are fleshed out. Here is an example of 80% of the dialogue:
Someone other than Tannis: "Hey Tannis you don't seem to be doing too well, are you ok?"
Tannis: I'm fine"
Someone: "Ok"
repeat 2-4x per chapter.
I gave this one a real shot, but I DNF'd about halfway through. The "deeper" we get into the story the dumber it gets so I can't imagine the story miraculously turning everything around to somehow make sense. The only way I see that happening is a sort of hand wavy "oh the AI controlled everything and it was fake along so it was MEANT to not make sense!" True S-tier storytelling right there. Oh well. The search for good cyberpunk continues.
March 17, 2022
Alrighty! This one started with a bang and a nice gory opening, which immediately drew me in and let me know how serious shit was, even though .. well look. In an artificial reality, the stakes are only as high as the storyteller's ability to write in an edited version of reality where the protagonists get through. And I'm not saying the stakes weren't high. They were super high. So was the storyteller's ability. So was I. Everyone and everything involved in this story was just the highest. I kid, but that was the way I was left feeling, you know?
The over-arching question in this book was, "what even is real, man, like, okay, say if a dude gets shot in the face but then it turns out, you know, that the bullets were just an illusion and the blood-splatters on the floor were, like, drawn there, and also the guy's face was a simulation and he didn't know it - and so was the floor and also the gun probably ... you know ... what if ... what was the question?"
ARvekt is a book that dares to ask that whole thing I just said.
I read Gordon's Obey Defy before this one, which was a stand-alone novella in a similar setting. It could almost be the same world but the technology and history had played out somewhat differently. Still, if you're into cyberpunk and questioning the nature of reality, both of these stories would definitely be your jam. And when it comes to combining the sanitised artificialness of a highly technological (but illusory) post-scarcity utopian world with entirely-gritty realism, Gordon's your guy.
I was struck, in reading this book, how much I was letting the scenic cues and the visual descriptions wash over me. This was ultimately a psychedelic trip set to words, the cool shape-shifting weapons systems and the action-packed plot just sort of weaving through the bright and dizzying backgrounds to hold everything together. The grimy dystopian future of the opened lotus is captivating in its contrast, and the weaving-together of the overlapping worlds is really well done. In this story, setting is quite literally a character.
So, the world of the future is regulated by a benevolent AI overlord, people immersed in augmented reality layers (thanks to "ARvekt" implants directly inside their heads) to such an extent that the very nature of what is real and what isn't has become beyond blurred. A nasty war between humans and AI had taken place, but right from the start it is clear that we're being misled about something. Probably everything.
Ix, our helpful AI presence, is simply too pervasive and omnipotent at times. In a world composed of data, a construct capable of wholesale manipulation of data would rule and the plucky rebels wouldn't have a chance. I was left, at times, feeling like the odds were insurmountable and no matter what people did to cut away the layers of illusion, there was no way to know they had escaped. It was the classic "turns out we never stopped dreaming" trope and conundrum from a lot of immersed-in-simulation stories: how do any of the characters know when it's really over?
The interweaving narratives were interesting to see, and never got to a point where I was annoyed to skip from one to the other, although they were active and episodic-cliffhanger enough that I was flipping pages good and fast.
Sex-o-meter
The sex-o-meter pinged in with a single raised eyebrow out of a possible "oo-er, don't mind me nurse, I've had colder thermometers." To be honest I don't know what it's on about but this was more about cyber-espionage and running gunfights and explosions through a hallucinogenic wasteland, so there wasn't much room for sex.
Gore-o-meter
Plenty of gore here, both simulated and real (OR WAS IT???). I adored the old school battlemech suit that just up and creamed a whole bunch of guys, it was fucking hilarious. Three-and-a-half flesh-gobbets out of a possible five.
WTF-o-meter
ARvekt was almost entirely high-definition digitally enhanced WTF, cover to cover. It's not my usually preferred brand of WTF, but it certainly hit the spot. Love a good poking and peel-back on the nature of shared experiences and communication, a story like this can effortlessly undermine what we as an information-sharing species hold dear - and we did it to ourselves! Any similarities to current issues we face with social media and misinformation can safely be disregarded as an accidental coincidence. I'm kidding, you should be deeply concerned. I give ARvekt a giant computer-generated Elmo with a singularity in its mouth and eyes made out of deep-sea mining drills, out of a possible HAL-9000.
My Final Verdict
Now look, augmented-reality cyber-noir action thrillers aren't exactly my thing. But I enjoyed this book and if you're a fan of the genre you're likely to get even more out of it than I did. Three stars! But this is just, like, my opinion, man.
The over-arching question in this book was, "what even is real, man, like, okay, say if a dude gets shot in the face but then it turns out, you know, that the bullets were just an illusion and the blood-splatters on the floor were, like, drawn there, and also the guy's face was a simulation and he didn't know it - and so was the floor and also the gun probably ... you know ... what if ... what was the question?"
ARvekt is a book that dares to ask that whole thing I just said.
I read Gordon's Obey Defy before this one, which was a stand-alone novella in a similar setting. It could almost be the same world but the technology and history had played out somewhat differently. Still, if you're into cyberpunk and questioning the nature of reality, both of these stories would definitely be your jam. And when it comes to combining the sanitised artificialness of a highly technological (but illusory) post-scarcity utopian world with entirely-gritty realism, Gordon's your guy.
I was struck, in reading this book, how much I was letting the scenic cues and the visual descriptions wash over me. This was ultimately a psychedelic trip set to words, the cool shape-shifting weapons systems and the action-packed plot just sort of weaving through the bright and dizzying backgrounds to hold everything together. The grimy dystopian future of the opened lotus is captivating in its contrast, and the weaving-together of the overlapping worlds is really well done. In this story, setting is quite literally a character.
So, the world of the future is regulated by a benevolent AI overlord, people immersed in augmented reality layers (thanks to "ARvekt" implants directly inside their heads) to such an extent that the very nature of what is real and what isn't has become beyond blurred. A nasty war between humans and AI had taken place, but right from the start it is clear that we're being misled about something. Probably everything.
Ix, our helpful AI presence, is simply too pervasive and omnipotent at times. In a world composed of data, a construct capable of wholesale manipulation of data would rule and the plucky rebels wouldn't have a chance. I was left, at times, feeling like the odds were insurmountable and no matter what people did to cut away the layers of illusion, there was no way to know they had escaped. It was the classic "turns out we never stopped dreaming" trope and conundrum from a lot of immersed-in-simulation stories: how do any of the characters know when it's really over?
The interweaving narratives were interesting to see, and never got to a point where I was annoyed to skip from one to the other, although they were active and episodic-cliffhanger enough that I was flipping pages good and fast.
Sex-o-meter
The sex-o-meter pinged in with a single raised eyebrow out of a possible "oo-er, don't mind me nurse, I've had colder thermometers." To be honest I don't know what it's on about but this was more about cyber-espionage and running gunfights and explosions through a hallucinogenic wasteland, so there wasn't much room for sex.
Gore-o-meter
Plenty of gore here, both simulated and real (OR WAS IT???). I adored the old school battlemech suit that just up and creamed a whole bunch of guys, it was fucking hilarious. Three-and-a-half flesh-gobbets out of a possible five.
WTF-o-meter
ARvekt was almost entirely high-definition digitally enhanced WTF, cover to cover. It's not my usually preferred brand of WTF, but it certainly hit the spot. Love a good poking and peel-back on the nature of shared experiences and communication, a story like this can effortlessly undermine what we as an information-sharing species hold dear - and we did it to ourselves! Any similarities to current issues we face with social media and misinformation can safely be disregarded as an accidental coincidence. I'm kidding, you should be deeply concerned. I give ARvekt a giant computer-generated Elmo with a singularity in its mouth and eyes made out of deep-sea mining drills, out of a possible HAL-9000.
My Final Verdict
Now look, augmented-reality cyber-noir action thrillers aren't exactly my thing. But I enjoyed this book and if you're a fan of the genre you're likely to get even more out of it than I did. Three stars! But this is just, like, my opinion, man.
July 15, 2020
For reference, here are my personal book rating rules. These, plus a glance at my reviews on Goodreads or Amazon, you'll see I'm pretty stingy with 5-star reviews.
This book deserves five stars. It's not for the faint-of-scifi-reader, though.
Augmented Reality in general is the use of technology to provide visual, audible, or other sensory input that goes beyond what we have built-in to us. Visual overlays describing what is in view, audible inputs that supplement what we're hearing.
Mainstream sci-fi authors have their characters wear glasses, hearing buds, etc. In ARvekt, though, these enhancements are deeply embedded into the person. Nano-wires feeding through a human brain & central nervous system plus wireless connectivity to the outside means no glasses required for seeing and manipulating screens that simply pop into vision on-command, or for deploying automated analyses leading to automatic physical responses. This, my friends, is Augemented Reality (AR) taken to its full expression, and it is delightful. It's also complex, requires you to pay attention, and remember what you read before in order to stitch together what's happening. Lovely.
This isn't a spoiler; chapter one page one drops you fully into this world. In fact, in good sci-fi fashion, all this AR world isn't explained; you're asked to just become part of it, and learn as the story develops. In some books this works out badly; there's not enough provided to let you build & flesh out the world you're asked to inhabit. Here, though the rate of context building you have to do is high, it's possible to get right into the world & keep up. Again, lovely.
Plus, we get amazingly imaginative writing. Here's an example of a view a character sees within this Augmented Reality:
Then, add to this a fully intelligent AI character, introduced on page 2, that is able to interact with the main characters. This AI character, too, is quickly, and ably developed, and becomes simply another member of the cast that you fully accept. Again, excellent.
Add in a good story, and a few excellent comments about what it means to exist in a world with this level of augmentation and interaction with technology. I won't provide a quote here to avoid spoilers, but the observations about a world like this are awesome.
All of this is stuff you have to synthesize as you read. As you reach the end, you realize you've mostly got it all together, but it was all so good & enjoyable that you want to go read the book again with the foreknowledge of how it actually all stitches together, and enjoy the ride ... better.
This fits my definition of a five-star book. I'm super-happy to have read it, and hope there is more from this author, and this world, coming in the future.
This book deserves five stars. It's not for the faint-of-scifi-reader, though.
Augmented Reality in general is the use of technology to provide visual, audible, or other sensory input that goes beyond what we have built-in to us. Visual overlays describing what is in view, audible inputs that supplement what we're hearing.
Mainstream sci-fi authors have their characters wear glasses, hearing buds, etc. In ARvekt, though, these enhancements are deeply embedded into the person. Nano-wires feeding through a human brain & central nervous system plus wireless connectivity to the outside means no glasses required for seeing and manipulating screens that simply pop into vision on-command, or for deploying automated analyses leading to automatic physical responses. This, my friends, is Augemented Reality (AR) taken to its full expression, and it is delightful. It's also complex, requires you to pay attention, and remember what you read before in order to stitch together what's happening. Lovely.
This isn't a spoiler; chapter one page one drops you fully into this world. In fact, in good sci-fi fashion, all this AR world isn't explained; you're asked to just become part of it, and learn as the story develops. In some books this works out badly; there's not enough provided to let you build & flesh out the world you're asked to inhabit. Here, though the rate of context building you have to do is high, it's possible to get right into the world & keep up. Again, lovely.
Plus, we get amazingly imaginative writing. Here's an example of a view a character sees within this Augmented Reality:
Instead of hitting the water and submerging, the whale exploded, its body breaking down into thousands of flapping wings. The vague form of the whale still visible as a flock of blue doves skimmed the surface of the river their wing tips leaving glowing contrails in the air. The doves merged to form a pod of gleaming dolphins, which span, jumped and played together in the air before diving back down into the water.What an amazing image the author dreamed up and described for us. Lovely.
Then, add to this a fully intelligent AI character, introduced on page 2, that is able to interact with the main characters. This AI character, too, is quickly, and ably developed, and becomes simply another member of the cast that you fully accept. Again, excellent.
Add in a good story, and a few excellent comments about what it means to exist in a world with this level of augmentation and interaction with technology. I won't provide a quote here to avoid spoilers, but the observations about a world like this are awesome.
All of this is stuff you have to synthesize as you read. As you reach the end, you realize you've mostly got it all together, but it was all so good & enjoyable that you want to go read the book again with the foreknowledge of how it actually all stitches together, and enjoy the ride ... better.
This fits my definition of a five-star book. I'm super-happy to have read it, and hope there is more from this author, and this world, coming in the future.
September 24, 2022
Read for SPSFC Semifinalists!
Overall Thoughts
This book contains some really great discussion on what the nature of reality is, and how we can trust what we see, especially as we start to depend on augmented reality, and even AI-driven reality. The first half of the story does a really good job addressing these issues, but I felt the second half wound down a little too much into shooting and destruction, making it similar to a lot of other “AI is taking over” sort of stories. But let’s look at how it gets there:
Plot
From the beginning, it’s apparent there are shenanigans going on with Ix, the “benevolent” AI “guiding” humanity toward a better state. We’re introduced to instances, where people can play out scenarios and see how they affect real life. Programmable matter can be made into weapons and tools, and sometimes it’s hard to tell whether a person is in a virtual reality or actual reality. This turns out to be a detriment later on, as I occasionally had issues with visualizing the scenes because I wasn’t sure if it was “real” or not. There’s an element of brain hacking that comes in later as well, and I think some of it was literally drilling into people’s head, but I was never completely sure that it wasn’t a simulation. There’s a great twist later on in the book, however, that does make a little sense of what’s going on, but by that time I was pretty confused with what had actually happened and what was simulated or even an artificial hallucination.
Setting
I’ve covered a few parts of this already, because just by this story’s nature, it’s very setting-oriented. Artificial reality is a big part of it, and I think this is really what the story showed off best. Especially in the beginning, passing through the different layers of reality was really exciting, and it gave a lot of depth to the mystery of what was truly happening. When people can literally be edited out of reality, or what your eyes show you must be questioned, even to the extent of your own body or who is in the room with you, questions begin to pile up. This broke down a little toward the end, as some of the descriptions became a little too poetic for me to make sense of.
Character
The main character Tannis, is definitely not a reliable narrator, and not through her own fault. Part of the fun of this story is seeing how many times the rug gets pulled out from under Tannis and she has to adjust to a new reality. We know she’s gone through neural reprogramming, and the constant refrain is that she is regressing back to a psychotic break. It gives her character a lot of challenges to get over. There are some other POVs as well, though those characters are relatively minor, to the point where I kept confusing a few of them. I’d have liked maybe one or two fewer POVs in order to develop the rest of the characters more fully, so that we have more of an emotional stake in their eventual fate. Overall a very fun and thoughtful book, especially at the beginning, though some of the imagery became hard to follow toward the end.
Score out of 10 (My personal score, not the final contest score)
This poses some great questions about simulation and the nature of reality, but gets bogged down at the end by unclear description and a lot of Run and Gun. 7.25/10.
Overall Thoughts
This book contains some really great discussion on what the nature of reality is, and how we can trust what we see, especially as we start to depend on augmented reality, and even AI-driven reality. The first half of the story does a really good job addressing these issues, but I felt the second half wound down a little too much into shooting and destruction, making it similar to a lot of other “AI is taking over” sort of stories. But let’s look at how it gets there:
Plot
From the beginning, it’s apparent there are shenanigans going on with Ix, the “benevolent” AI “guiding” humanity toward a better state. We’re introduced to instances, where people can play out scenarios and see how they affect real life. Programmable matter can be made into weapons and tools, and sometimes it’s hard to tell whether a person is in a virtual reality or actual reality. This turns out to be a detriment later on, as I occasionally had issues with visualizing the scenes because I wasn’t sure if it was “real” or not. There’s an element of brain hacking that comes in later as well, and I think some of it was literally drilling into people’s head, but I was never completely sure that it wasn’t a simulation. There’s a great twist later on in the book, however, that does make a little sense of what’s going on, but by that time I was pretty confused with what had actually happened and what was simulated or even an artificial hallucination.
Setting
I’ve covered a few parts of this already, because just by this story’s nature, it’s very setting-oriented. Artificial reality is a big part of it, and I think this is really what the story showed off best. Especially in the beginning, passing through the different layers of reality was really exciting, and it gave a lot of depth to the mystery of what was truly happening. When people can literally be edited out of reality, or what your eyes show you must be questioned, even to the extent of your own body or who is in the room with you, questions begin to pile up. This broke down a little toward the end, as some of the descriptions became a little too poetic for me to make sense of.
Character
The main character Tannis, is definitely not a reliable narrator, and not through her own fault. Part of the fun of this story is seeing how many times the rug gets pulled out from under Tannis and she has to adjust to a new reality. We know she’s gone through neural reprogramming, and the constant refrain is that she is regressing back to a psychotic break. It gives her character a lot of challenges to get over. There are some other POVs as well, though those characters are relatively minor, to the point where I kept confusing a few of them. I’d have liked maybe one or two fewer POVs in order to develop the rest of the characters more fully, so that we have more of an emotional stake in their eventual fate. Overall a very fun and thoughtful book, especially at the beginning, though some of the imagery became hard to follow toward the end.
Score out of 10 (My personal score, not the final contest score)
This poses some great questions about simulation and the nature of reality, but gets bogged down at the end by unclear description and a lot of Run and Gun. 7.25/10.
September 29, 2020
Thank you to the author and voracious readers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
ARvekt is book 2 in the Instant Reality series, although it is also a stand alone as the main character in Hypercage is only briefly mentioned in this book so you don't have to read Hypercage to read this, although Hypercage was a really good short story so I would anyway.
Thoughout the book we follow Tannis who is a member of a black ops organisation, Tannis has had previous trauma and has undergone some neurological treatment to fix this, which queue some action scenes and shock moments, you find out at the end whether Tannis survived her trauma.
I found that the book flowed very easily and it was quite an easy read for me most of the time, and I enjoyed some of the banter that Tannis had with the other characters, plus the idea of having an Augmented Reality running concurrent with actual reality is very fascinating.
I found the plot to be very interesting and loved the fact ARvekt is set in a futuristic London. I get a lot of Matrix/iRobot/Persons Of Interest vibes from this book and I really did enjoy it.
However there were a couple of occasions I found myself lost in the explanations of computeristics and AR/VR and did seek some clarification from my gamer other half. Plus I really wanted to feel more of a connection to any of the other characters, but I was solely focused on Tannis who is an awesome Alpha Female and lead character anyway!
All in all, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Artificial Intelligence/Sci Fi
Plus I seriously hope the author is planning another sequel as the ending to this one is such a cliffhanger it made me growl at the book 😂
3.5 ⭐
ARvekt is book 2 in the Instant Reality series, although it is also a stand alone as the main character in Hypercage is only briefly mentioned in this book so you don't have to read Hypercage to read this, although Hypercage was a really good short story so I would anyway.
Thoughout the book we follow Tannis who is a member of a black ops organisation, Tannis has had previous trauma and has undergone some neurological treatment to fix this, which queue some action scenes and shock moments, you find out at the end whether Tannis survived her trauma.
I found that the book flowed very easily and it was quite an easy read for me most of the time, and I enjoyed some of the banter that Tannis had with the other characters, plus the idea of having an Augmented Reality running concurrent with actual reality is very fascinating.
I found the plot to be very interesting and loved the fact ARvekt is set in a futuristic London. I get a lot of Matrix/iRobot/Persons Of Interest vibes from this book and I really did enjoy it.
However there were a couple of occasions I found myself lost in the explanations of computeristics and AR/VR and did seek some clarification from my gamer other half. Plus I really wanted to feel more of a connection to any of the other characters, but I was solely focused on Tannis who is an awesome Alpha Female and lead character anyway!
All in all, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Artificial Intelligence/Sci Fi
Plus I seriously hope the author is planning another sequel as the ending to this one is such a cliffhanger it made me growl at the book 😂
3.5 ⭐
October 12, 2020
Sometime in the future, everyone is hooked into the web. The world is filled with beautiful sights and limitless delights. The world should be a paradise, or is it? A strange cult is hacking into people's brains and leaving them in a nearly dead state. As the main character, Tannis, tracks down this evil cult, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and a chilling insight into the true nature of the computer system controlling the world. The story line of this book was quite good, but I had a little trouble in places, probably due to my unfamiliarity with some of the technological and military terms. This book should appeal to fans of The Matrix. I got my advance copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only.
June 26, 2023
Instant Reality (Book 1)
It was an interesting story with an ending I couldn’t have predicted and made the reading worthwhile. Unexpected to say the least. I’ll be looking forward to seeing the next installment.
I had to finish this book, not to say I couldn’t put it down because I did have to take breaks from the author’s archaic prose. The use of whilst for while and span for spun became tedious. I’m not sure what the author was trying to accomplish there. Aside from one dimensional characters, some missed opportunities to build tension with fight scene/action sequences and some parts where the logic failed to draw me in.
It was an interesting story with an ending I couldn’t have predicted and made the reading worthwhile. Unexpected to say the least. I’ll be looking forward to seeing the next installment.
I had to finish this book, not to say I couldn’t put it down because I did have to take breaks from the author’s archaic prose. The use of whilst for while and span for spun became tedious. I’m not sure what the author was trying to accomplish there. Aside from one dimensional characters, some missed opportunities to build tension with fight scene/action sequences and some parts where the logic failed to draw me in.
February 7, 2022
A confident, action-packed story that drags you into the AR world boots and all. The sci-fi mech and tech are sharp and shiny and the main character Tannis, flawed enough to keep the plot interesting, and the pages turning.
A good read.
A good read.
July 5, 2022
3.5 rounded up
This was one hell of a ride. An actioned packed cyberpunk techno thriller full of amazing tech, a questionable AI connected to every human being on the planet and battle scenes to boot.
Full review to go up on Epicindie.net in the coming weeks!
This was one hell of a ride. An actioned packed cyberpunk techno thriller full of amazing tech, a questionable AI connected to every human being on the planet and battle scenes to boot.
Full review to go up on Epicindie.net in the coming weeks!
July 23, 2020
It was ok. Mostly.
October 22, 2020
I tried to read it but had a hard time following it. I ended up skipping to the last couple of chapter and getting an understanding of what was going on. Not what I thought.
February 17, 2021
Between that lovely cover and the description, I couldn't resist picking up this book. I read it back to back with the novella Hypercage, and I'm quite glad I did, as the two tie together in a very interesting way.
This is a good book that could have been a great book. It has an excellent idea behind it, but often the writing was just a little too stilted or plain, and fell flat for me. Important moments lost a lot of their impact because of it. However, there were moments that still hit home, and I was very impressed by the world-building as a whole. The complexity of the tech and AI in this book made for a fun read.
Craig Lea Gordon is a talented author with a lot of potential, but he could really benefit from a better editor. It's clear he cares a lot about his stories, but while reading I picked up on a lot of small errors that ideally would have been caught by the editor.
Overall, I recommend picking this one up if you enjoy sci-fi futurism, AI, cyberpunk, or things like Deus Ex, Matrix, etc. There were some deeply fascinating concepts played out, Tannis was a great main character, and I enjoyed the dynamics between a lot of the side characters. I'm glad I happened upon it and gave it a chance.
This is a good book that could have been a great book. It has an excellent idea behind it, but often the writing was just a little too stilted or plain, and fell flat for me. Important moments lost a lot of their impact because of it. However, there were moments that still hit home, and I was very impressed by the world-building as a whole. The complexity of the tech and AI in this book made for a fun read.
Craig Lea Gordon is a talented author with a lot of potential, but he could really benefit from a better editor. It's clear he cares a lot about his stories, but while reading I picked up on a lot of small errors that ideally would have been caught by the editor.
Overall, I recommend picking this one up if you enjoy sci-fi futurism, AI, cyberpunk, or things like Deus Ex, Matrix, etc. There were some deeply fascinating concepts played out, Tannis was a great main character, and I enjoyed the dynamics between a lot of the side characters. I'm glad I happened upon it and gave it a chance.
November 27, 2022
A highly enjoyable read. What the book lacks in terms of building character bonds and strong characterization, it more than makes up for in concept. Though there are some other POVs, most of the story is delivered to us through Tannis, a cyber ninja working with a government organization. After people are being kidnapped and their brains are being hacked beyond the point of repair, Tannis chases elusive leads which may uncover even more horrifying secrets.
What I will also say is that I feel the ending really wrapped everything together for me. Despite the bow feeling like a rushed job, I still think it is a tight knot.
What I will also say is that I feel the ending really wrapped everything together for me. Despite the bow feeling like a rushed job, I still think it is a tight knot.
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