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Strange Flesh

Michael Olson (Goodreads Author)

3.31 · Rating details · 392 Ratings · 108 Reviews

THIS IS A STORY ABOUT SEX AND GAMES.
"The only clue we have to our brother's whereabouts is this place that doesn't really exist."
Ten years ago, Blythe Randall broke James Pryce's heart. Now she needs his help. Her enigmatic appeal lures the elite hacker into his most tantalizing, and most personal, assignment yet.
A Harvard dropout employed by Manhattan-based RedRook Secur ...more

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Hardcover, 416 pages

Published April 3rd 2012 by Simon & Schuster (first published January 1st 2012)

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Mar 11, 2012 Leish rated it it was ok

Shelves: books-read-2012, reviews-2012

I had high hopes for this book, the publisher information even describes it as such: "If The Social Network was sexier, if Ready Player One forgot its safe words, if The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was a boy - you'd have Strange Flesh, the most seductive, high-tech, high-octane literary thriller about alternate reality games and virtual sex ever written." Well Ready Player One was one of my favorite books last year, and I was looking forward to reading something somewhat similar.

Unfortunately, I ...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Claudia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporaryamericanauthors

I got to read an advance copy of Strange Flesh and loved it! Full of larger-than-life characters and gorgeously written, this novel kept me entertained from beginning to end. I'm still thinking about the high-powered twins Blake and Blythe, their out-of-control half brother Billy, the salacious Olya, the tortured Gina, and most of all, James Pryce, the gifted but flawed hacker who narrates the story. As James hunts down Billy, we travel with him through an underground world of avatars, sex and d ...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Nick rated it it was amazing

I was lucky enough to read an advance copy of this book and it is tremendous. This is the next big break out book. Think Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but so much more, and much more deeply felt. Instead of introducing a world of coffee drinking and streets with strange names, Strange Flesh takes us deep into the world of virtual reality with real and compelling characters whose romances, sex, crimes, and inhibitions are all utterly realistic and gripping. I was fascinated and provoked but this i ...more

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May 24, 2012 Louise rated it did not like it

Shelves: unfinished

Couldn't finish this book. There were too many awkward, trying hard to be clever acronyms and portmanteaus.

The blurb of this book somewhere says it's a mix of Girl With The Dragon Tattoo but with a main protagonist, and Ready Player One. That's partly true. There's some mystery involved and plenty of deviant sexual behavior, but the book revels in it for the shock factor, except I wasn't shocked. I was just mildly bored that the author had to resort to that to make the story interesting. And it' ...more

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Apr 22, 2012 lafon حمزة نوفل rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to lafon حمزة by: Goodreads

(view spoiler)

Edit: I'm now finished.

Ummmm..... OK. Not entirely sure how I'm gonna review this. I guess I'll (view spoiler)

Edit: I'm now finished.

Ummmm..... OK. Not entirely sure how I'm gonna review this. I guess I'll start with the obvious. This book is twisted, dark, and if you're unfamiliar with the darkness of humankind very, very scary. I was rather unsure of what to rate this and decided in the end to rate it the same way as I did with Lolita, lowering the score due to my reaction with the content (this is in no way defined by how good - or bad - the writing is). The sex is not as graphic as some while definitely more hardcore than others, and perhaps for different readers either the point that hooks them onto the story, or totally turns them off. (view spoiler) So now that I'm done addressing the sex, I guess I need to get to reviewing the story.

(view spoiler)

From this description you could be forgiven for thinking that this is about following Billy into a VR (virtual reality). It's not. What is really happening is that Billy is desingning a game, one that is more like an Easter egg hunt with clues online, and the objects exist in the real world. Enough about that because any more and I will run into spoilers. Also it's because there was not much more to the story than that. One hint though; If you are familiar with the way mystery writers work, you'll see the culprit long before the reveal, as Olsen is a tad contrived about the whole pro/antagonist thing. My biggest problem with "Strange Flesh" is the technology makes very litte sense. You have practical VR's right along side your average PC. We're talking about tech that is right from this time period, and beside it is something that doesn't yet exist. I see from some reviews here on goodreads that people don't understand some of the tech references, but for me it's the attempt to marry the tech of now and the tech of tomorrow seamlessly. It doesn't work. Finally the main character James Pryce bothers me. I could never properly place him. First he started of as a hacker, kinda geeky but good with computers (the geeky part is rather stereotypical, but anyway...), then he shows himself to be a people person. Fine so far. Halfway through the book however, the author decideds that he must also be good in a fight, and have a gun. I could not define at any point through the book who Pryce was, so I could never truly connect with him. The one thing I will give Michael Olsen is that despite all these flaws, I still finished the book and was not frustrated while reading it (at least not any more than when reading other books.) So to finish off:
2 stars for content. 2 stars for writing. 3 stars because I still enjoyed it, for an average of 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars. ...more

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Apr 28, 2014 Leslee rated it liked it

Shelves: sci-fi

This hovered between two and three stars for me. With a title as evocative as Strange Flesh, and a promising first forty pages, I was ultimately disappointed by what turned out to be a rather pedestrian noir tale that was a roller coaster ride but in all the wrong ways. The comparisons to Ready Player One are rather apt in that this is a book filled with references - Olson casually tosses them out and alludes to a fair number of works from the Marquis de Sade to Urotsukidoji but ultimately it fe ...more

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May 02, 2012 Cheryl rated it really liked it

James has a niche for finding people. His talent as a skilled hacker helps. That is why when his ex, Blythe Randall has come to James. She needs the best. Her brother Billy has gone missing. Billy is also a genius. He has created a virtual gaming world known as NOD. It seems that Billy has literally taken this new world too serious as he has disappeared within it.

I picked up this book with no expectances of whether I would like this book or not. The concept of it was intriguing. A virtual game ...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Faye rated it it was ok

On "Movers & Shakers" list; comparisons to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and Ready Player One (both 5 stars). Okay, you've got my attention.

15% read - Ugh! What am I doing? Such an obvious first novel. Michael Olson assumes he has to provide a definition of all technological and sexual terms? Exactly where is this guy planning on finding an audience that knows nothing about either? Very old nuns? Okay, maybe, but people that understand neither and want to read this book? Where are those pe ...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Mike rated it liked it

I remember joking once with a friend that the next logical step in the world of motion controls and haptic feedback was porn. In a world of Real Dolls and Japanese robots it becomes increasingly obvious, and likely disturbing to many people, the direction in which the sex toy industry will go. Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One, along with films like Tron or The Matrix, touch upon the nature of artificial reality and its impact in society in a very straightforward manner. Rare is the mainstream nov I remember joking once with a friend that the next logical step in the world of motion controls and haptic feedback was porn. In a world of Real Dolls and Japanese robots it becomes increasingly obvious, and likely disturbing to many people, the direction in which the sex toy industry will go. Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One, along with films like Tron or The Matrix, touch upon the nature of artificial reality and its impact in society in a very straightforward manner. Rare is the mainstream novel that examines the more primal corners of these emergent technologies. Enter Michael Olsen’s debut novel Strange Flesh.

Strange Flesh follows a white hat hacker (maybe gray hat is more accurate) named James Pryce as he tasked with investigating the disappearance of an old flame’s black sheep younger brother Billy Randall. His investigation sees him undercover at an arts/media conglomerate called GAME where he discovers the twisted game left be behind by Billy; one modeled after the works of the Marquis de Sade. James’ investigation leads him on often meandering path down strange avenues at the intersection between the real and the virtual.

In terms of language and tone something about Strange Flesh called to mind the languid prose of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. Maybe it was the ivy league flashbacks James so often indulges in but the posh ivy league inner circle of James’ youth, one helmed by the Randall Twins Blythe and Blake, calls to mind the circle in Tartt’s novel. Strange Flesh, particularly as it moves towards the latter two thirds, slowly begins to move towards the darker underbelly of internet culture and technological development. As Billy’s game is revealed and the virtual game based off of de Sade’s work impinges on the real world the novel asks some interesting questions about the impact of the virtual on the realistic.

But for all its near future science Strange Flesh isn’t truly a science fiction novel. The questions seem incidental to the plot and as James becomes increasingly involved in Billy’s game there is a corresponding reliance on sex and fetish to drive the plot forward. Truth be told as the novel progressed it felt like the more sexual aspects of the novel began to obscure the mystery that the novel sets forth at its outset. This obfuscation lends the novel a ponderous air that forces the novel to drag.

Spoiler ahead, you’ve been warned!

One aspect of the novel involves the creation of a fully immersive and interactive sex focused virtual reality interface. While this part of the novel does tie into Billy and his game there is a bit too much focus spent on this aspect of the novel. Indeed it is these sections of the novel that felt the most like erotica and pulled attention away from the novel’s mystery. Much like The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’s hundred page introduction to Swedish economics (which never seemed to intersect with the later plot of the novel) Strange Flesh’s interludes do not always seem to play an integral role in advancing the plot nor do they offer much of anything to the story as a whole.

As a debut novel Strange Flesh is a particularly impressive work that while flawed shows great promise. For all its meandering Strange Flesh is still a consistently compelling work with a mystery full of twists and turns down often dark and disturbing paths. This isn’t a novel for the squeamish or easily offended. Strange Flesh falls more into the mystery or psychological thriller category than it does science fiction and in truth the somewhat listless examination of the blending between virtual reality and actual reality left me hungry for something a bit more in depth. ...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Jessica rated it liked it

Shelves: thriller

Heartache and a passion for hacking have comprised James Pryce's post-college years. Unsurprisingly, when he's offered the chance to work for his lost love, Blythe Randall, James quickly takes the job. She and her brother, Blake, need his cyber-spy services to track down their wily half-brother, Billy, who's sworn to destroy Blake, and has the cash to back up his threats. James's investigation launches him from a lifestyle of casual sex with strangers into a virtual reality of deviant sexual beh Heartache and a passion for hacking have comprised James Pryce's post-college years. Unsurprisingly, when he's offered the chance to work for his lost love, Blythe Randall, James quickly takes the job. She and her brother, Blake, need his cyber-spy services to track down their wily half-brother, Billy, who's sworn to destroy Blake, and has the cash to back up his threats. James's investigation launches him from a lifestyle of casual sex with strangers into a virtual reality of deviant sexual behaviour. But his involvement in this online world of depravity and his cover as a video journalist start to bleed into his real life when he becomes involved in a project to develop virtual reality sex toys. By the time he realizes the truth, it may be too late for him to escape his carnal new reality.

My experience with thrillers consists of Hannibal by Thomas Harris and Cujo by Stephen King. I found the former dry and the latter enthralling. I suppose Strange Flesh falls somewhere in the middle; the book certainly held my attention when I was reading it; I was drawn in by the libertine world of online sex, a voyeur amoung voyeurs. But, it wasn't too hard to set down at the end of my lunch, or when I got off the train. Except the end. When my lunchbreak ended, leaving me with only ten pages to go, I surreptitiously finished the book at my desk.

As far as characterization is concerned, James is a pretty conventional protagonist. The book is carried by the cast of secondary characters: the delicate Blythe, her twin brother Blake, the devious Billy, and Olya the Russian vixen. Michael Olson does a good job of navigating James through his encounters with these characters within and without the online world of NOD. I think making James a run-of-the-mill, everyman kind of computer nerd makes it easier for the average reader to relate to him. While there's a large real-life population of people getting off in the online world, readers of this book are unlikely to be among them. So, it's necessary to create an average-guy lens for readers to view the story through.

That being said, I didn't find the book overly erotic or explicit. Olson treated any sex scenes with a detached, analytic voice (reminiscent of the experience for online sex participants?). This book is a mystery-thriller not a lewd sexual drama. For that reason, I suggest it to anyone who enjoys the genre. Let Strange Flesh draw you into a titillating near-future world.

To read more of my reviews, please visit my blog, StarLit. ...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Allizabeth Collins rated it it was ok

Review:

When I started hearing about Strange Flesh from other reviewers, I knew that I wanted to get my hands on a copy, and Simon and Schuster was kind enough to send me an ARC. Others were equating it to 120 Days of Sodom, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network, and Ready Player One, books I had thoroughly enjoyed; so I was definitely interested. Unfortunately, I felt that Strange Flesh was lacking many of the components the aforementioned books contained. Yes, the main character Review:

When I started hearing about Strange Flesh from other reviewers, I knew that I wanted to get my hands on a copy, and Simon and Schuster was kind enough to send me an ARC. Others were equating it to 120 Days of Sodom, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network, and Ready Player One, books I had thoroughly enjoyed; so I was definitely interested. Unfortunately, I felt that Strange Flesh was lacking many of the components the aforementioned books contained. Yes, the main character was hard to decipher, and technology (virtual reality, the internet, smartphones...) took a prominent role, but where was all the action? I find that most of the story is lost behind unnecessary definition and technical rigmarole; I do not know why Michael Olsen thinks it is obligatory to describe acts and processes that most people able to read the book would already understand, (sex, tech, etc...). I was not a fan of the characters either, they fell flat and evoked close to 0% sympathy from me. A character that started out with potential, James, just became a twisted mass of multiple personalities; from hacker to gunslinger within 200 pages. Do not even get me started on the female characters, because they were all stereo-typically objectified - there was not a strong female in the bunch - just women, sex, and games; the book's noted premise. Speaking of, why does every situation have to be laced with cheap twisted sex scenes? Most people expect a little well-developed heat in a book like this one, especially looking at the cover, but the graphic sexual content felt more prostrate and depraved than sexy and gratifying, most times wanton. Parts of the plot had redeeming qualities, but a book that takes 200+ pages to capture the readers attention will not excite readers. Maybe this book would be better as a hyped-up film, but it is definitely not bestselling novel material. I am not sure that I am comfortable recommending this book to others.

Rating: DNR (2/5)

*** I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. ...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Albert rated it really liked it

Strange Flesh, the first effort from Michael Olson is a distinctive foray into the digital world of sex and games and the harsh instrusion of reality in the form of bloody murder and suicide.
Harvard dropout and geek extraordinaire, James Pryce is a marvel at finding anyone and about anything in the virtual world when he is hired by his long lost love and her brother, Blythe and Blake Randall to find their estranged broher Billy. In the midst of doing so he meets a collection of characters and th ...more

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May 06, 2012 Jehiel rated it really liked it

While solid, yet unremarkable for a majority of the time, the plot really kicks it up a notch right before the climax. In the last 100 or so pages, it went from a solid yet forgettable 3 stars to 4 stars and a ending that will stay in my mind for a few days.

Taken as a whole, it definitely has its flaws. In a way it was painfully mediocre. Then at a certain point it felt like the author dumped the rest of his plot points on the table and decided to speed through them from the crazy climax to the ...more

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Feb 22, 2012 Aaron Schooley rated it really liked it

I was lucky enough to be given an advanced copy of the book. I was fully engrossed from the first page and relented in reading only when the final page was turned. The characters were captivating and believable, and while the protagonist was loaded with personality flaws, he remained a "prince" to the end. As a software engineer/gamer the books main themes resonated home with many issues I have dealt with over the years. I feel anyone raised in today's age technologically driven age will find a ...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Anna rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mystery

This book was so compelling. Once I got into it, I couldn't stop myself. It's twisted and fascinating, and I never saw the end coming. I loved it.

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Jun 05, 2018 Enrique rated it really liked it

I was thoroughly entertained by this book. It is very well written in first person. The author has a mastery of the language. It is a much better book than the title and the sleazy cover art might lead you to think. I noticed that in the Italian edition, they changed the title to The Game (good move). The protagonist harbors a strong crush for a woman he knew in college. Wanting to know how that turned out kept me turning pages. There is action, IT, and geek culture. My only quibble with this bo ...more

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Jul 20, 2015 AlenGarou rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Vita reale o... virtuale?

3 stelle e mezzo

Sono abbastanza onnivora in fatto di libri, ma ammetto di non aver letto moltissimi thriller. Questo, tuttavia, mi ha in qualche modo catturato. Il tema principale, possiamo dire anche lo sfondo della vicenda, è molto attuale e centrato su problematiche sociali riguardanti il boom di nuove tecnologie di questi ultimi anni; infatti, la vita virtuale sta lentamente diventando quella più… reale?
Non ci sono limiti, regole… ogni desiderio può essere realizzato Vita reale o... virtuale?

3 stelle e mezzo

Sono abbastanza onnivora in fatto di libri, ma ammetto di non aver letto moltissimi thriller. Questo, tuttavia, mi ha in qualche modo catturato. Il tema principale, possiamo dire anche lo sfondo della vicenda, è molto attuale e centrato su problematiche sociali riguardanti il boom di nuove tecnologie di questi ultimi anni; infatti, la vita virtuale sta lentamente diventando quella più… reale?
Non ci sono limiti, regole… ogni desiderio può essere realizzato, anche il più scabroso. Ho frequentato chat 3D e posso dire che i valori morali stanno scemando sempre di più. In “The Game” non si sviluppa solo questo argomento. La maggior parte è incentrato sulle questioni del “sesso virtuale” e delle nuove “arti”.
Per quanto riguarda l’arte, devo dire che non è stato del tutto evasivo come argomento, ma per quanto riguarda Fred e Ginger… Beh, anche quello è sempre un lavoro che può far guadagnare un sacco di soldi. Tanto c’è chi comprerebbe quei robot “erotici” senza nemmeno guardarne il prezzo. In più, per buona parte del romanzo, viene citato “Le 120 giornate di Sodoma”. Non ho letto quel libro, ma da quello che ho potuto capire non è certo un genere soft… come se “The Game” lo fosse XD
Ad ogni modo non posso dire che mi sia piaciuto moltissimo. In primo luogo, è molto dispersivo: 600 pagine e il più delle volte la trama va per i fatti propri. Poi i personaggi sono molto ambigui, per non dire quasi tirati all’estremo, e mi chiedo se esiste qualcuno che il protagonista non si sia portato a letto… In più, c’è un punto che è sia a favore che contro.
Il libro è ben articolato sotto il punto di vista tecnico. Lo scrittore sa il fatto suo e non mancano dei piccoli paragrafetti codici, metodi di pirateria informatica ecc… ma per una come me, che di computer non ci capisce una cippa, tutto questo risulta superfluo e confusionario… forse dovrei prendermi uno di quei manuali tipo “informatica per idioti”.
Infine, è un libro che consiglio a chi vuole una lettura diversa dal solito, specialmente se non è perbenista o malizioso. ...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Stefi Il Giardino delle rose rated it it was ok

Per questo libro non avevo grandi aspettative e devo dire che alla fine non mi ha ne delusa ne entusiasmato!

Le premesse erano decisamente stuzzicanti: omicidi, tradimenti e cybersex, ma in realtà ho avuto difficoltà ad entrare nella storia fin dall’inizio, molto probabilmente per gli inutili termini tecnici e le lunghe descrizioni, che a parer mio fanno perdere un po’ il filo del discorso, e per quel mondo virtuale lontano anni luce dal mio modo di essere.
Solo continuando a leggere ho cominciat ...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Angela rated it liked it

Shelves: whodunit

Such a weird book! I don't even know where to begin.

It was very much an adult Ready Player One if Ron Jeremy was co-author, and instead of solving riddles, the character was searching for how to make the perfect sexbot. It kinda made me uncomfortable, but the mystery was interesting, and the...Unmasking well-deserved.

Nobody was likable here, and I like that. It does happen in real life, so why it bothers people in books I have no idea. Everyone was either shady, manipulative, or sociopathic, and ...more

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Jul 29, 2015 Christopher rated it really liked it

Shelves: thriller

This was one of the first books I have read by this author. While the testimony on the back says "(strangeFlesh==(sex&&games)," is odd but brief description of what lies inside. Combining a mix of hacking, a game of cat and mouse, murders, robotic sex, suicide, gaming, and a family's odd history gives this book a cyberpunk feel.

He is paid by Billy's twin siblings Blythe and Blake, who have a complicated history with their brother to say the least.Focused on exposing Billy Randell, James ...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Virgil Larson rated it it was ok

The tone of this book is young heterosexual male fantasy set in a world of computer hacking and online game development. On this background is told a tale of sibling rivalry and revenge. Twins Blythe and Blake Randall are recently graduated from Harvard and now running the family business, which strongly resembles Comcast. Their estranged half brother, Billy, has taken his share of the family fortune to the online gaming sector. Billy is convinced his siblings caused the death of his girlfriend, ...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Jeff Raymond rated it did not like it

Shelves: read-mystery, read-sci-fi

It's taking a lot for me to not write "not my genre, not my genre" over and over, but I think it's just that this was not that good.

The story revolves around a mysterious suicide, which then brings our hero into a corporate underworld of sorts where people are inventing virtual reality sex robots. So there's plenty of virtual reality robot sex, plenty of reality reality non-robot sex, and a murder mystery that plays second fiddle to all the virtual sex being had and discussed in the book.

It's re ...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Robin rated it it was ok

Shelves: kindle, 2012

I'm kind of kicking myself that I actually bought this one. Ugh. I read the starred reviews in PW and Booklist, and I decided I needed to read it. Uh-oh. Expectations. Having finished it, I have to say I'm rather shocked at the praise. They describe it as a "headspinning literary thriller"-- it did have a lot of big words (allowing me to make use of my kindle dictionary-- woo!), but my takeaway tended toward "pretentious cyber-hipster melodrama." I found it difficult to read as I really disliked ...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Tami rated it really liked it

Shelves: goodreads-giveaways, 2012

I haven't received my copy yet, just received notice I had won. 2/6/12
Received my copy last night, and hope to start soon. Have 4 more plus current read in front. 2/22/12
Started yesterday 3/18/12

James is a hacker. He works at a security firm that specializes in finding people that don't want to be found. The Randall twins need his help finding their half brother. While still at Harvard, Blythe Randall broke James' heart and now she is asking for his help. Billy, the half brother, is actually hid ...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Melissa rated it really liked it

Shelves: giveaways-i-won

**I received this book through a First Reads Giveaway.

I really liked this book!! This is a totally different genre from what I normally read, but I was interested in the "online fantasy world" aspect mixed with a plot involving sibling rivalry and unrequited love. The tagline alone pulled me in: This is a story about sex and games. And it surely delivered!

Virtual games...
Money games...
Sex games...
Love games...
Evil games...
Deadly games...

Amidst the many games and pawns in play, I actually learned ...more

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May 14, 2012 Karen rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: erotica, graphic-thrillers

I really wanted to love this book being a long time user of some of the places mentioned in this book namely second life and imvu and definately have been linked to some of the seedier sides. However, I found that this book was so difficult to get into that it took me well over 300 pages before I could find myself getting interested in the characters. I started to suspect the answers to the mystery early on but found the book difficult to read with too much unnecessary technical gibberish which ...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Emily rated it it was amazing

This book was brilliant. Michael Olson's characters are strongly written, thoughtful, and, something you don't see a lot in fiction, honest. Not to say that main character James Pryce doesn't lie, but that his thought process and reactions to people and things are completely believable. He speaks and thinks and reacts like a real human being, which was what I liked best about the book.

I grew up with a computer in the house and I think that anyone raised in today's technological age can find some ...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Tasha Robinson rated it really liked it

This was a pretty unusual book. Not the quick-read technothriller I was expecting, but something denser and better-written. It has a bunch of hallmarks of an airport pulp book — cutting-edge technology, an overly skilled mercenary hero, a preoccupation with the porn industry and how technology is changing it — but it reads more like early Neal Stephenson than a quickie book. It's smart about technology, with just the right amount of detail for verisimilitude without getting too dull or dense, bu ...more

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Jan 29, 2012 Lindsey Lang rated it really liked it

i actually received a free arc copy in the mail from the publisher and it sounded interesting enough to start right away!

this was definitely an interesting read! i found myself not able to put it down for too long needing to know what was going to happen next! i'd recommend it to anyone not faint of heart as there is obviously a lot of sex and violence but it's necessary to the story too. i'll keep my eyes open for anything else by this author as i also enjoyed the pacing and the way the story w ...more

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Jan 20, 2012 John rated it really liked it

Sterlingcindysu lent me this ARC. This is a very good thriller that takes one into a virtual world most of us would rather not know about but touch with every day on our computers. The story has to do with dragging that virtual world into the tangible one we touch and feel. You feel less secure with our "communities" (even this one). I see young men caught up in the gaming world; a Second Life, literally and figuratively, and this book shows where this could go at the extremes. Virtual sex, Sade ...more

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About Michael Olson

Michael Olson

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Michael Olson, a Harvard graduate, worked in investment banking and software engineering before taking a master’s degree from NYU’s Interactive Technology Program, where he designed a locomotion interface for virtual environments.

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