Exit to Reality

As if determined to master every genre, Forbes, whose fine previous novels centered on mystery (Nowle's Passing) and romance (Alma Rose), sets her third effort 1000 years in the future. When Level 2 Information Analyst Lydian travels to Paris to meet Merle, an intriguing online acquaintance, face to face, she learns that he has the incredible ability to change his appearance and location at will. Merle offers to teach Lydian how to do this, and she easily masters the skill. After a series of misadventures that draw the attention of the authorities, the misfits realize the world as they know it is a sham, a virtual-reality simulation intended to keep humanity from learning that the real Earth is a desolate wasteland incapable of supporting life. Just what to do with the information becomes a moot point when Merle and Lydian encounter an organization of altruistic renegades who have also discovered the truth about the world. Despite rare moments of lyricism, Forbes fails to match the standard of her previous work. Her world-building is rudimentary compared to more seasoned and committed practioners of SF, and the heavy doses of exposition smother the bland characterizations. The book ventures into themes of utopia, gender and free will, but it lacks the sophistication and depth of the best speculative fiction--whether literary or SF. (May)