Realtime Interrupt

While some may find the latest work from Prometheus Award winner Hogan to be a bit preachy, those who enjoy stories with a moral will find this near-future parable denouncing greed hard to resist. A rising star in the field of computer simulation, Joe Corrigan is promoted to direct a top-secret project, an entire computerized reality. When corporate rivals plot his downfall, Joe finds his situation abruptly changed from cocky software engineer to desperate prisoner. Trapped in a software world of his own making, Joe must regain control of the computer to save himself and other ``volunteer' subjects. Whether dealing with the real or the pixel-filled world, Hogan (Multiplex Man) is an entertaining storyteller who has a fine talent for creating sympathetic characters. Entrapment in virtual reality is not a new idea, but creative twists and a vividly descriptive narrative emphasize original handling of the subject. Realistically illustrating a dangerous combination of computer research, corporate politics, market pressure and personal ambition, the author delivers a frighteningly believable scenario of science gone awry. (Feb.)