Secret Realms

by Tom Cool

In the first half of the next century, a band of warriors is raised from infancy in ignorance of the real world, raised in a virtual-reality environment of endless battle where they grow into superb soldiers. But as war breaks out in the real world between Japan and China, the puppet masters who control their lives tighten the leash. Their virtual scenarios become maps of reality, and their strategies are acted out by real battle units. But Cat, Trickster, Dreamer, Snake, and the others don't know it. All they have ever known is the endless settings of the virtual world.

And then they discover the real world, their real bodies held prisoner in a secret military facility on an island in the pacific. They decide to reclaim themselves and enter the real war.

And the first thing they discover is pain.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Juan Sanmiguel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A group of people on island have been living in a virtual world since birth. The Chinese scientists, who run the virtual world they live in, are training these individuals to be living strategic computers. They are given battle problems to solve and soon they are given a real problem to solve when China and Japan go to war. One of the group know as the Trickster wonders about his environment and hots to one outside his world. He eventually discovers how to get to the real world. An interesting premise. It leads to the debate of freedom as Trickster and the others interact with real world. An interesting combination of military SF and Cyberpunk.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling, visceral, visionary science fiction. I'd read it again.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

VERY fast paced. While I appreciate the speed, I think the book would be better if it were two or three times as long, using the extra time to develop backstory and characters. As it is I'll finish it in two sittings. There's a interesting world here, but we sure don't see much of it.

The ending is relatively weak and too Mary-Sue. The protagonists' prowess seems unrealistic given their training - they should be really bad at real-world unaccelerated combat, since they've never really done it...

[Scott Holstad · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stupid book. Didn't finish. Didn't come close to finishing. It's a rip off of Ender's Game and the names of the characters are beyond stupid -- Cat, Trickster, Cry-Baby, Snake, Dreamer, etc. I couldn't get past the names. I hated these kids! And their war games seemed idiotic. Just a bad, bad book in general. Definitely not recommended.

[Merlin · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has a lot of characters, none of whom are developed.

Since the entire plot is that about those characters' fight freedom (which comes far too easily as would for any Marty Stu) and we do not know those characters well enough to care about them, we do not care about the plot.

[Frank · Rating 2 out of 5]

In my opinion, a bad rewrite/rip-off of Ender's Game.

[Matt Mcconathy]

Mix of the Matrix and a War Movie