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PARANOIA S1 Reality Optional
ATTENTION, CITIZEN JEROME-G. THIS IS YOUR FRIEND THE COMPUTER.
Jerome-G had a good job at the Threat Obfuscation Department in The Computer’s underground city of Alpha Complex. He invented false threats to cover up true dangers. It made perfect sense, once he understood The Computer’s idea of “true” is entirely false.
INTERNAL SECURITY CONSIDERS YOU A CITIZEN OF INTEREST.
Suddenly Jerome’s fake menaces are turning real. Rogue robots are conspiring for independence. There’s a pirate ship in the transport tubes. And the real-est threat is the powerful executive Ellister-V, who means to dispose of Jerome permanently.
WELCOME TO THE TROUBLESHOOTERS!
To evade a fatal reassignment as reactor shielding, Jerome volunteers for The Computer’s elite service unit. Troubleshooters heroically defend Alpha Complex from traitors. Too bad Troubleshooters are often traitors themselves.
YOUR FIRST MISSION: FIND A LOST PAIR OF GLASSES.
If Jerome’s teammates knew the equipment they seek is right in his pocket, they’d kill him. His experimental Augmented Reality goggles reveal the truth behind everything — and he’s more confused than ever.
YOU ARE IN ERROR. NO ONE IS SCREAMING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.
Jerome-G had a good job at the Threat Obfuscation Department in The Computer’s underground city of Alpha Complex. He invented false threats to cover up true dangers. It made perfect sense, once he understood The Computer’s idea of “true” is entirely false.
INTERNAL SECURITY CONSIDERS YOU A CITIZEN OF INTEREST.
Suddenly Jerome’s fake menaces are turning real. Rogue robots are conspiring for independence. There’s a pirate ship in the transport tubes. And the real-est threat is the powerful executive Ellister-V, who means to dispose of Jerome permanently.
WELCOME TO THE TROUBLESHOOTERS!
To evade a fatal reassignment as reactor shielding, Jerome volunteers for The Computer’s elite service unit. Troubleshooters heroically defend Alpha Complex from traitors. Too bad Troubleshooters are often traitors themselves.
YOUR FIRST MISSION: FIND A LOST PAIR OF GLASSES.
If Jerome’s teammates knew the equipment they seek is right in his pocket, they’d kill him. His experimental Augmented Reality goggles reveal the truth behind everything — and he’s more confused than ever.
YOU ARE IN ERROR. NO ONE IS SCREAMING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 29, 2013
I'm a big PARANOIA fan, but I wasn't holding out high hopes for the books. Paranoia's humor is rooted in a whole lot of repeating in-jokes and a whole lot of absurdity; I expected something fun and familiar and a likely a little bit stale.
Not a bit of it. Most of the book is pitch-perfect and relentless. Familiar PARANOIA tropes are all over the place, but the book never falls into the trap of relying on the in-jokes to carry the story. This is a terrific PARANOIA story; firmly rooted in the setting, but fresh, inventive, and devious. And by making the protagonist a skeptic, self-aware enough to see Alpha Complex's insanity for what it is, Hanrahan manages to give us a character who's very much of Alpha Complex, but also fully as clever and genre-savvy as the readers.
Very well done indeed.
Not a bit of it. Most of the book is pitch-perfect and relentless. Familiar PARANOIA tropes are all over the place, but the book never falls into the trap of relying on the in-jokes to carry the story. This is a terrific PARANOIA story; firmly rooted in the setting, but fresh, inventive, and devious. And by making the protagonist a skeptic, self-aware enough to see Alpha Complex's insanity for what it is, Hanrahan manages to give us a character who's very much of Alpha Complex, but also fully as clever and genre-savvy as the readers.
Very well done indeed.
March 11, 2013
I am a longtime fan of the PARANOIA RPG, so it was a given that I would pick up this book and the other books from Ultraviolet Publishing. So far, this is the only one I have read, and it perfectly captures everything I love about PARANOIA. The black humor, madcap antics, and satire that make Alpha Complex such a wonderful place to explore (but a horrible place to live) are all present in this book. Within the first three of chapters, the protagonist has been blackmailed by Free Enterprise, interrogated at work, and caught in a confession booth while a firefight rages outside.
Even amidst the silliness that PARANOIA is known for, the book manages to have a well thought out plot with likeable characters, which is more than can be said for most sessions of PARANOIA I've played. Random gags come back later as important details, and it all builds up to a thrilling climax. My only complaint is that the middle portion of the book, which has the main character is on Troubleshooting duty to escape reassignment to reactor shielding duty, focuses more on the silliness and less on the plot. I suspect that it is mostly there because it's obligatory to featuring Troubleshooters in all PARANOIA material, but during this segment, the plot takes a backseat. It does play out like a real game of PARANOIA, which is nice, and it fits into the overarching plot in the end, but during the segment itself, the plot appears to have stalled. Others have complained about the books use of deus ex machinas, but that's just life in Alpha Complex.
Although I can't exactly be sure, it seems to me that the book does a good job of explaining the setting so that readers with no experience with PARANOIA will still enjoy it. They may not get quite the same kick out of it as I did, but anyone who likes dystopian sci-fi chock full of black humor should enjoy this book.
Even amidst the silliness that PARANOIA is known for, the book manages to have a well thought out plot with likeable characters, which is more than can be said for most sessions of PARANOIA I've played. Random gags come back later as important details, and it all builds up to a thrilling climax. My only complaint is that the middle portion of the book, which has the main character is on Troubleshooting duty to escape reassignment to reactor shielding duty, focuses more on the silliness and less on the plot. I suspect that it is mostly there because it's obligatory to featuring Troubleshooters in all PARANOIA material, but during this segment, the plot takes a backseat. It does play out like a real game of PARANOIA, which is nice, and it fits into the overarching plot in the end, but during the segment itself, the plot appears to have stalled. Others have complained about the books use of deus ex machinas, but that's just life in Alpha Complex.
Although I can't exactly be sure, it seems to me that the book does a good job of explaining the setting so that readers with no experience with PARANOIA will still enjoy it. They may not get quite the same kick out of it as I did, but anyone who likes dystopian sci-fi chock full of black humor should enjoy this book.
August 26, 2012
I like the Paranoia RPG. Its a zany setting with a lot of potential! Its a fun Science Fiction setting with a bunch of very cool ideas! That does however not necessarily translate to a good book!
I'm happy to say though, Reality Optional was very enjoyable! I read the book in a good 3 days on my phone and I loved it!
The book takes a very serious approach to the Paranoia universe. Characters are struggling and insane stuff happens but it never turns comical, rather the characters are fighting for their lives against the worst of odds.
The plot was good too. Lots of twists & I never really saw it coming. On the other hand, it d be an awful Paranoia book that has a predicable story.
I can't seem to write decent English tonight, but hell, I'm not sure anyone ll even read this :)
In 8 words: I was pleasantly surprised and liked the book!
I'm happy to say though, Reality Optional was very enjoyable! I read the book in a good 3 days on my phone and I loved it!
The book takes a very serious approach to the Paranoia universe. Characters are struggling and insane stuff happens but it never turns comical, rather the characters are fighting for their lives against the worst of odds.
The plot was good too. Lots of twists & I never really saw it coming. On the other hand, it d be an awful Paranoia book that has a predicable story.
I can't seem to write decent English tonight, but hell, I'm not sure anyone ll even read this :)
In 8 words: I was pleasantly surprised and liked the book!
March 16, 2014
I thought it was excellent and funny. But then, I'm biased.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews