This is one of my favorite reads of 2020 for the concepts it explores and the characters who explore them. But there are other reasons the book resonates with me. One of my favorite movies from the late 1990s was a flick called The Thirteenth Floor. It was a movie about similar subject matter… itself based on a book published in 1964. While the film holds up fairly well these days, I’ve never been willing to read the book. How could something from the 60s stand up as engaging techno-fiction?
Excitingly, NPC explores a similar space while breaking new and exiting ground on the concept that “reality is a simulation” by introducing modern gaming concepts and cutting edge technology in addition to compelling, likable (and despicable) characters.
And since it’s a Robinson thriller, there are enough twists to keep readers sorting things out and fully transfixed until the final page.
For added fun, check out the audiobook. The way the narrators tag-team the reading is fantastic. They bring this book to life in the best possible way.