Eris

Gaudet (Skyroom) offers an eerie glimpse into an all too believable near-future in this cyberpunk outing. Don Barton originally created the hit game Greenhouse, where players must save the environment, to inspire people to help make the world a better place. Instead, the game proves so addictive that it consumes players totally, drawing them into the virtual world. As its popularity grows and more people, including politicians and society’s elite, get hooked, the real world is left to the ravages of ongoing climate catastrophe. One of the most jacked in is Don’s own teenage son, Tony, who goes missing at the start of the book. His disappearance is linked to the hacker Eris and her team of ecoterrorists, who hope to dismantle the game from within, sending Don on a desperate quest through cyberspace to get his son back. The plot excites, but the pace is slowed by ever changing narrators pausing to infodump their backstories. Still, this virtual game of cat and mouse will appeal to fans of Ready Player One. Agent: Sam Hiyate, Rights Factory. (July)