Vaporware

In this engaging yet leisurely thriller, PW reviewer and longtime gaming insider Dansky (Snowbird Gothic) explores technology gone awry. Ryan Colter, creative director for Horseshoe Games, is heartbroken when his latest project in development, the revolutionary video game Blue Lightning, is shut down with short notice. Attempts to move on to a new game are stymied when odd events around the office reveal that the female protagonist of Blue Lightning is somehow alive, and has a very special interest in Ryan. Now he must find a way to deal with his wayward creation while preserving his job, his relationship with his girlfriend, and his own safety. Dansky’s experience and passion lend verisimilitude as he explores the seedy underbelly of the gaming industry, but the story doesn’t kick into high gear until the halfway mark. It’s entertaining but predictable, in the tradition of late night B-movies. Agent: Robert Fleck, the Fleck Agency. (June)