What do you think?
Rate this book
Instant Reality #0.5
Hypercage
Dave is a virtual reality gaming addict, willing to risk everything to keep the thrill alive. But how far is he ready to go?
His addiction has taken his family to breaking point. And now he must choose. Can he give up the one thing that allows him to escape the mundane, to belong, to become something greater?
When he meets the gaming girl of his dreams, she offers him the chance of a lifetime. But will he get what he always wanted, or end up paying the ultimate price?
If you like intense and gripping stories, with a reality-bending plot, then you’ll love Hypercage.
His addiction has taken his family to breaking point. And now he must choose. Can he give up the one thing that allows him to escape the mundane, to belong, to become something greater?
When he meets the gaming girl of his dreams, she offers him the chance of a lifetime. But will he get what he always wanted, or end up paying the ultimate price?
If you like intense and gripping stories, with a reality-bending plot, then you’ll love Hypercage.
Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2016
49 people are currently reading
192 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 28, 2017
Hypercage: Instant Reality Prequel One by Craig Lea Gordon
4 – Stars
I'll admit that this is something I picked up for free some time back and when I finally got to it, I'd forgotten it was a short so the ending was abrupt.
We find our MC is a stay at home dad with a young son and a wife who works a lot. He passes the time by playing a video game. The technology is very advanced with access to the network instantaneous and comes straight into your body. While on a dinner date with his wife, she's taking a while to order and he decides to log into the game. She realizes that he's addicted and offers him to either quit the game and go to rehab or the door.
While at rehab he meets someone who's beta testing an app that works in the brain to allow multi-tasking. This would make it possible play all the time while still being able to perform all of his other duties.
Needless to say, that when the network is connected to your brain and you give a stranger access to said brain while allowing them to override all security protocols, there might be a problem.
Fascinating read.
4 – Stars
I'll admit that this is something I picked up for free some time back and when I finally got to it, I'd forgotten it was a short so the ending was abrupt.
We find our MC is a stay at home dad with a young son and a wife who works a lot. He passes the time by playing a video game. The technology is very advanced with access to the network instantaneous and comes straight into your body. While on a dinner date with his wife, she's taking a while to order and he decides to log into the game. She realizes that he's addicted and offers him to either quit the game and go to rehab or the door.
While at rehab he meets someone who's beta testing an app that works in the brain to allow multi-tasking. This would make it possible play all the time while still being able to perform all of his other duties.
Needless to say, that when the network is connected to your brain and you give a stranger access to said brain while allowing them to override all security protocols, there might be a problem.
Fascinating read.
January 15, 2018
An unexpected little gem!
This was an unusual, thought-provoking techno-thriller.
It's a brief look into a future not too far from our own, with regard to computer technology at the very least. Both an unsettling and tantalising glimpse of the effect it has on the main character.
I quickly found myself absorbed in the story and a reality I was pretty certain about, only to have the ground shift and to suddenly find myself somewhere completely different with a whole new paradigm.
It's a tense, at times dark, journey with a totally unexpected destination that has me still thinking about its outcome days after I first read it.
Absolutely worth a read.
Now I have to wait, not very patiently perhaps, for the next slice of reality to emerge from the author's keyboard.
I was given an ARC copy by the author, but enjoyed it so much I also purchased my own. Before he generously made it perma-free I might add!
This was an unusual, thought-provoking techno-thriller.
It's a brief look into a future not too far from our own, with regard to computer technology at the very least. Both an unsettling and tantalising glimpse of the effect it has on the main character.
I quickly found myself absorbed in the story and a reality I was pretty certain about, only to have the ground shift and to suddenly find myself somewhere completely different with a whole new paradigm.
It's a tense, at times dark, journey with a totally unexpected destination that has me still thinking about its outcome days after I first read it.
Absolutely worth a read.
Now I have to wait, not very patiently perhaps, for the next slice of reality to emerge from the author's keyboard.
I was given an ARC copy by the author, but enjoyed it so much I also purchased my own. Before he generously made it perma-free I might add!
June 22, 2018
I downloaded this as a freebie some time ago, and added it to a personal challenge when a science fiction book editor recommended it highly. I've been a fan of cyberpunk since I first read William Gibson, so why not?
The story starts with Dave, our narrator, out to an anniversary dinner with his workaholic wife, and jacked in to his virtual reality space wars game. Unfortunately our Dave is, in addition to being a stay-at-home dad to an infant son, a gaming addict. His wife Becks lays down the gauntlet - it's the game, or our marriage! So Dave goes to rehab, and mopes with all of the other jack-heads, waiting for his drugs. Until he encounters a mysterious woman who offers him an alternative....
(Isn't that how things go sideways almost 99.9% of the time?)
I really enjoyed this story, and I look forward to more by this author!
The story starts with Dave, our narrator, out to an anniversary dinner with his workaholic wife, and jacked in to his virtual reality space wars game. Unfortunately our Dave is, in addition to being a stay-at-home dad to an infant son, a gaming addict. His wife Becks lays down the gauntlet - it's the game, or our marriage! So Dave goes to rehab, and mopes with all of the other jack-heads, waiting for his drugs. Until he encounters a mysterious woman who offers him an alternative....
(Isn't that how things go sideways almost 99.9% of the time?)
I really enjoyed this story, and I look forward to more by this author!
September 25, 2020
This is a very small novella/prequel. It is only roughly 40 pages, but what an impact those 40 pages make, I'm about to start book 2 straight away as I am so fascinated!
So Dave is a stay at home dad with a gaming addiction, although he doesn't see it that way. After his wife gives him an ultimatum of his family or his gaming profile he attends a detox clinic where he meet Starr, a woman who reckons she can help him to multitask his normal life alongside playing his AR game.
The way the book takes a turn and shows such addictive behaviours, such as the way he is with his son is so believable for addictive personalities, and in all honesty it makes for such an interesting read, again for such a small novella it made an impact!
So Dave is a stay at home dad with a gaming addiction, although he doesn't see it that way. After his wife gives him an ultimatum of his family or his gaming profile he attends a detox clinic where he meet Starr, a woman who reckons she can help him to multitask his normal life alongside playing his AR game.
The way the book takes a turn and shows such addictive behaviours, such as the way he is with his son is so believable for addictive personalities, and in all honesty it makes for such an interesting read, again for such a small novella it made an impact!
December 24, 2017
Dave is an advanced player of an online game, and his wife is unhappy about it. It's become his life, but she calls it a "stupid kids' game". She issues the inevitable ultimatum: give it up or don't come home. The rest of the story traces his life from then on, which is hard to characterize without giving away the whole story. Suffice to say, it's an interesting, trippy story, well-imagined and well-written.
September 2, 2021
HyperCage is about a gamer who's becoming seriously addicted at the cost of his familial relationships. When his wife gives him an ultimatum, he ends up going to an addiction clinic but things don't turn out the way he expects. The technology and world building is off to a good start. It was a little bleak for my taste but I think Craig Lea Gordon will find many devoted fans if he keeps the action and plot twists coming in the rest of his series.
May 7, 2023
HYPERCAGE by Craig Lea Gordon is a novella about how a husband and father is addicted to a video game he can play via cybernetics in a cyberpunk future. His wife is furious about his addiction as he plays even during their dates. Dave decides to avoid rehab by trying a new app to give him an out. I'm kind of sad that the story moves from this oddball premise to a more conspiracy orientated one.
Still, I had fun.
Still, I had fun.
June 27, 2017
This short story begins as a space battle is in progress but then morphs into something else. An interesting development and well worth reading - very different from the previous story.
A Kobo version rather than the kindle.
A Kobo version rather than the kindle.
September 29, 2017
This is a short story about an addicted VR gamer who gets stuck in a new hacker scheme. Scary in the fact it could very, very well happen. Of course, via a short story, not much depth can be gotten into. To me, it needs to be a full book one.
April 5, 2018
Well written, but darker than I usually care for.
April 13, 2018
Short, Sweet and Sharp
A fantastic short story that hits the ground running. Seriously looking forward to more in this series. Once a cyberpunk nerd always a cyberpunk nerd.
A fantastic short story that hits the ground running. Seriously looking forward to more in this series. Once a cyberpunk nerd always a cyberpunk nerd.
December 22, 2018
This story started out well enough but devolved quickly as if the author was looking for closure. As if his word count was met and time to wrap it up.
November 24, 2021
Short story
It is a well done story. Very dark or stark. You decide.. leaves a lot of questions unanswered.but ultimately not my kinda book.
It is a well done story. Very dark or stark. You decide.. leaves a lot of questions unanswered.but ultimately not my kinda book.
April 5, 2022
Gaming can be addictive, the thrill, the brain rush, bad people may take advantage ...
Free from Amazon.
Free from Amazon.
October 11, 2018
This story was short and sweet but captivated me for the entire time and left me practically begging to know what happened next. 5/5
October 11, 2016
This is a really short quick read. What an intro. Makes you wonder what is real and what is part of a VR construct. I want to read more about Dave and Becks and this story.
May 10, 2021
What’s it about?
The first book (?) in the Instant Reality series, Hypercage, had my interest. There was a husband character, Dave, addicted to virtual reality gaming at the cost of his marriage and family. The book coaxed the reader into having a vested interest into whether he would get his marriage and family together or if he’d finally reach Level 50 on his game when all his dreams would come true. Whereas the game offered exciting liberation, his partner was perhaps coming across as uncompromising and mundane, however, at times it’s clear to the reader Dave’s priorities were not his family. From Dave’s point of view, he was doing his best to get ahead to find ways of coping with one reality and making progress in another.
Criticism
I was disappointed we didn’t get to learn more on whether a solution was reached among Dave and his family before other events occurred, and this was likely because it’s a short story, and my rating above was harsher than it would have been as a result. Sometimes I lost sight of where the character was in relation to other objects or situations.
Overall
There were aesthetically pleasing characters in Hypercage, and some novel ideas such as a clinic to help with addiction. They really had everything covered in this world. There was a funny scene at the end of the book, which required more than a touch of imagination and I’d recommend reading through just to get to that part. I definitely had to read ARvekt, book two, to get a grasp on where the author was coming from and for a more fulfilling read – and I was not disappointed!
The first book (?) in the Instant Reality series, Hypercage, had my interest. There was a husband character, Dave, addicted to virtual reality gaming at the cost of his marriage and family. The book coaxed the reader into having a vested interest into whether he would get his marriage and family together or if he’d finally reach Level 50 on his game when all his dreams would come true. Whereas the game offered exciting liberation, his partner was perhaps coming across as uncompromising and mundane, however, at times it’s clear to the reader Dave’s priorities were not his family. From Dave’s point of view, he was doing his best to get ahead to find ways of coping with one reality and making progress in another.
Criticism
I was disappointed we didn’t get to learn more on whether a solution was reached among Dave and his family before other events occurred, and this was likely because it’s a short story, and my rating above was harsher than it would have been as a result. Sometimes I lost sight of where the character was in relation to other objects or situations.
Overall
There were aesthetically pleasing characters in Hypercage, and some novel ideas such as a clinic to help with addiction. They really had everything covered in this world. There was a funny scene at the end of the book, which required more than a touch of imagination and I’d recommend reading through just to get to that part. I definitely had to read ARvekt, book two, to get a grasp on where the author was coming from and for a more fulfilling read – and I was not disappointed!
September 5, 2016
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. I love this! More precisely, I love the main character Dave. Not because he's cool (he isn't) but because he's so human, flawed and relatable. The author has done a fantastic job bringing to life an ordinary joe with real life problems.
Dave is a gaming addict. His wife is a successful career woman and Dave feels insignificant in his role as a stay-at-home dad. The only place where he feels awesome is in the virtual reality game called Galaxy War, but his gaming problem is getting seriously out of hand.
In my opinion, you don't have to be a fan of cyberpunk to enjoy this novella. If you've ever obsessed over a computer game, you'll be able to relate. Minus the technology and the brutal edge, I could also imagine these events taking place in present day. The characters feel like real people and the plot addresses existing real life issues. I love it that the author doesn't pull his punches. Hypercage is not a pretty story, and it haunted me long after I'd finished reading. Realism makes for the best horror scenarios, I guess. I definitely look forward to reading more by this author.
Dave is a gaming addict. His wife is a successful career woman and Dave feels insignificant in his role as a stay-at-home dad. The only place where he feels awesome is in the virtual reality game called Galaxy War, but his gaming problem is getting seriously out of hand.
In my opinion, you don't have to be a fan of cyberpunk to enjoy this novella. If you've ever obsessed over a computer game, you'll be able to relate. Minus the technology and the brutal edge, I could also imagine these events taking place in present day. The characters feel like real people and the plot addresses existing real life issues. I love it that the author doesn't pull his punches. Hypercage is not a pretty story, and it haunted me long after I'd finished reading. Realism makes for the best horror scenarios, I guess. I definitely look forward to reading more by this author.
June 8, 2020
Great unexpected story with modern thriller background.
I came into this title for a short story. But after the first read, I was searching for its sequels instead and ended up reading it twice. From the first page to the last, it could make you read in one sit. I wish I can review for more details but it would definitely be better for you to dig it by yourself.
I came into this title for a short story. But after the first read, I was searching for its sequels instead and ended up reading it twice. From the first page to the last, it could make you read in one sit. I wish I can review for more details but it would definitely be better for you to dig it by yourself.
October 18, 2016
This isnt one of my regular genres but im always up for reading something new. Im not sure how i feel about it though. The book wasnt bad and it kept me engaged to where i wanted to keep reading to see what happened next but i didnt care for this ending. It left me a bit confused inatead of connecting all the dots...I doubt I read the next book if there is one. Everyone has different tastes and expectations so I would still recommend this book simply because i did find the majority of it entertaining.
February 1, 2017
The Future
I was totally with his wife when I learned he was playing a game. I believe that our society is addicted to these games and it is a legitimate concern. I was interested in what happened next.
I was totally with his wife when I learned he was playing a game. I believe that our society is addicted to these games and it is a legitimate concern. I was interested in what happened next.
October 6, 2016
Excellent
March 31, 2017
This story follows the usual tendency of science fiction short stories, in that it takes an interesting idea -- typically some implication of speculative advancement in science and technology -- to an uncomfortable conclusion. Such stories can be depressing, perhaps somewhat shocking, and occasionally enlightening. In that respect, the author did a good job, falling only slightly short of "enlightening".
It could have benefited from some tightening-up of the copy editing. The characters did not elicit much sympathy, except perhaps for one who then turned out to be kind of a throw-away "badguy" character, but that's not usually a hindrance to something under thirty pages in length. The end dissolved into some rather stilted, jarringly choppy shift in the narrative style, in its disjointedness somewhat akin to reading a first-person Gothic romance that suddenly turns into a modern political thriller told through the artifice of fictional newspaper article clippings at the end.
That having been said, the story becomes better after thinking about it for a day or so after finishing it than it seems immedately after reading the last line. The aspects of it I liked make me want to read more from this author, and it's (mostly) a very easy, short read, so it's worth picking up. At "free" from Kobo (for DRM-free EPUB) and Amazon (for whatever passes for a Kindle format these days), it's definitely worth the price.
It could have benefited from some tightening-up of the copy editing. The characters did not elicit much sympathy, except perhaps for one who then turned out to be kind of a throw-away "badguy" character, but that's not usually a hindrance to something under thirty pages in length. The end dissolved into some rather stilted, jarringly choppy shift in the narrative style, in its disjointedness somewhat akin to reading a first-person Gothic romance that suddenly turns into a modern political thriller told through the artifice of fictional newspaper article clippings at the end.
That having been said, the story becomes better after thinking about it for a day or so after finishing it than it seems immedately after reading the last line. The aspects of it I liked make me want to read more from this author, and it's (mostly) a very easy, short read, so it's worth picking up. At "free" from Kobo (for DRM-free EPUB) and Amazon (for whatever passes for a Kindle format these days), it's definitely worth the price.
March 31, 2017
Good read
This was a little different than what I normally read and it really gets you thinking about the way technology is going today if this could really happen. I enjoyed reading this book.
This was a little different than what I normally read and it really gets you thinking about the way technology is going today if this could really happen. I enjoyed reading this book.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews