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Gameland #9
Jessie's Game #1: Signs of Life
Welcome to GAMELAND. Everyone's dying to get in. Someone is trying to hack Jessie Daniels's brain implant. The prime suspect? Micah Sandervol, a fellow gamer-turned-betrayer. Problem is, he's already dead- or he's supposed to be. Dead and reanimated. Jessie thinks he might not be after all.
For Jessie, a traumatized survivor of a reckless break-in to Long Island's Gameland, a VR arcade populated with Undead avatars, survival means taking it one day at a time. Her best friend now roams the island as one of the soulless, people close to Jessie are disappearing, and her own husband is acting suspiciously. Control lapses are occurring with greater frequency. It's only a matter of time before the implant network, meant to protect them, becomes their greatest vulnerability.
Arc Enterprises, the one entity with the power to fix everything, refuses to heed the warning signs. Instead, the company behind Reanimation and neuroleptic implant technologies, will let nothing stand in the way of their planned launch of a new twist on their most popular product: "The Game."When the outbreak sirens begin to sound in her hometown, Jessie is forced to do the one thing she most dreads: return to Gameland and hope she can stop Micah.
"The water pelts her upturned eyes, yet she does not blink. It pools into the hollows beneath and around the blackened orbs until the solid gray of the sky bursts into brilliant prisms of color, vibrant lakes and oceans of molten light. And if she blinks, it spills out in a kaleidoscope of tears. "
"If she could only blink. "
"The water turns the darkness away from this dead, empty world and makes it bright once more. "
"Yes, the rain is good. The rain is as close to life as she can come."
from "Jessie's Game: Signs of Life"
"Jessie's Game: Signs of Life" is a 120,000 word novel from the world of GAMELAND.
For ages 16 and older.
What is S.W. Tanpepper's GAMELAND
The highly-rated epic cyberpunk series was first released in monthly episodes between May and December 2012. It follows the exploits of six young adults as they break into the Long Island arcade hoping for a rare glimpse of the undead survivors of a decades' old outbreak. But while breaking in was easy, getting back out is a killer.
6 Hackers, 1 Game... 10,000 Undead.
Everyone loves "Survivalist," a live-action, virtual reality show based on Arc Entertainment's "The Game," where cybernetically controlled zombies do battle in a video arcade in the middle of a Long Island wasteland. It's to die for.
If you're rich enough, you can buy your way in. If you're desperate enough, you can volunteer to become one of the Undead Players. Jessie Daniels and her gang of computer hackers plan to break their way in.
Welcome to GAMELAND. Access Restricted.
Want more GAMELAND?For insight into the series and how it all started, check out the short prequel "Golgotha" (also available in the short story collection "Shorting the Undead and Other Horrors").
"Velveteen." The story of Cassie, a 6-y/o female zombie trapped in a bathroom... until Jessie releases her twelve years later. A terrifying twist on a classic children's tale.
"Infected: Hacked Files from the GAMELAND Archive." Includes a timeline of key events, a glossary of terms, character dossiers, essays, articles and never-before-released voice transcripts.
SUBSCRIBE to Tanpepper Tidings for advance notice of:
new releases, special (and exclusive) pricing events, contests and giveaways, signings and appearances
tinyletter.com/SWTanpepper
(copy and paste into your browser's address bar, or visit the author's webpage at tanpepperwrites.com)
For Jessie, a traumatized survivor of a reckless break-in to Long Island's Gameland, a VR arcade populated with Undead avatars, survival means taking it one day at a time. Her best friend now roams the island as one of the soulless, people close to Jessie are disappearing, and her own husband is acting suspiciously. Control lapses are occurring with greater frequency. It's only a matter of time before the implant network, meant to protect them, becomes their greatest vulnerability.
Arc Enterprises, the one entity with the power to fix everything, refuses to heed the warning signs. Instead, the company behind Reanimation and neuroleptic implant technologies, will let nothing stand in the way of their planned launch of a new twist on their most popular product: "The Game."When the outbreak sirens begin to sound in her hometown, Jessie is forced to do the one thing she most dreads: return to Gameland and hope she can stop Micah.
"The water pelts her upturned eyes, yet she does not blink. It pools into the hollows beneath and around the blackened orbs until the solid gray of the sky bursts into brilliant prisms of color, vibrant lakes and oceans of molten light. And if she blinks, it spills out in a kaleidoscope of tears. "
"If she could only blink. "
"The water turns the darkness away from this dead, empty world and makes it bright once more. "
"Yes, the rain is good. The rain is as close to life as she can come."
from "Jessie's Game: Signs of Life"
"Jessie's Game: Signs of Life" is a 120,000 word novel from the world of GAMELAND.
For ages 16 and older.
What is S.W. Tanpepper's GAMELAND
The highly-rated epic cyberpunk series was first released in monthly episodes between May and December 2012. It follows the exploits of six young adults as they break into the Long Island arcade hoping for a rare glimpse of the undead survivors of a decades' old outbreak. But while breaking in was easy, getting back out is a killer.
6 Hackers, 1 Game... 10,000 Undead.
Everyone loves "Survivalist," a live-action, virtual reality show based on Arc Entertainment's "The Game," where cybernetically controlled zombies do battle in a video arcade in the middle of a Long Island wasteland. It's to die for.
If you're rich enough, you can buy your way in. If you're desperate enough, you can volunteer to become one of the Undead Players. Jessie Daniels and her gang of computer hackers plan to break their way in.
Welcome to GAMELAND. Access Restricted.
Want more GAMELAND?For insight into the series and how it all started, check out the short prequel "Golgotha" (also available in the short story collection "Shorting the Undead and Other Horrors").
"Velveteen." The story of Cassie, a 6-y/o female zombie trapped in a bathroom... until Jessie releases her twelve years later. A terrifying twist on a classic children's tale.
"Infected: Hacked Files from the GAMELAND Archive." Includes a timeline of key events, a glossary of terms, character dossiers, essays, articles and never-before-released voice transcripts.
SUBSCRIBE to Tanpepper Tidings for advance notice of:
new releases, special (and exclusive) pricing events, contests and giveaways, signings and appearances
tinyletter.com/SWTanpepper
(copy and paste into your browser's address bar, or visit the author's webpage at tanpepperwrites.com)
414 pages, Paperback
First published December 10, 2013
1 person is currently reading
238 people want to read
About the author
Saul W. Tanpepper
75 books209 followersFor the latest news, events and giveaways, subscribe to the Tanpepper Tidings: https://tanpepperwrites.com
Got a Kindle? Find me at http://viewauthor.at/SaulTanpepper
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Wattpad: http://wattpad.com/SaulTanpepper
Saul is the specfic pen name of author Ken J. Howe, who writes in a variety of genres. He is a retired biotech entrepreneur with a PhD in molecular genetics and is a former combat medic.
Got a Kindle? Find me at http://viewauthor.at/SaulTanpepper
Got a Nook? I'm here http://bit.ly/VpgXlh
iTunes? Click this http://bit.ly/QnMoJp
Google Play? http://bit.ly/2jVLtVL
Kobo? http://bit.ly/TNIWZX
Do you Smashwords? http://bit.ly/P4SEWi
Wattpad: http://wattpad.com/SaulTanpepper
Saul is the specfic pen name of author Ken J. Howe, who writes in a variety of genres. He is a retired biotech entrepreneur with a PhD in molecular genetics and is a former combat medic.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 18, 2014
The Gameland series sucked me in from the very beginning of the first book, Deep into the Game. From there I throttled through Gameland: Omnibus, the first eight books, in a single weekend. Once again, Tanpepper delivers an impeccably edited and exciting work of fiction. Set in the Gameland world, Signs of Life picks up where Book eight leaves off (give or take a week). Is Micah really dead? What was Ashley's fate? These questions will be answered and replaced with many more.
Signs of Life is more touchy feely than the previous books of the Gameland series. The action isn't non-stop, but the book maintains a respectable pace and provides a lot more description then we've seen in the past.
Throw out everything you thought you know, every conclusion you've drawn to date. Because Tanpepper blows them all out of the water and bombards reader with twists and turns at every direction. To say the end of Signs of Life is a cliffhanger is an understatement. There is no pretty red bow to tie everything up with, instead as the end gets closer, the action ramps up for Jessie and friends.
Signs of Life is more touchy feely than the previous books of the Gameland series. The action isn't non-stop, but the book maintains a respectable pace and provides a lot more description then we've seen in the past.
Throw out everything you thought you know, every conclusion you've drawn to date. Because Tanpepper blows them all out of the water and bombards reader with twists and turns at every direction. To say the end of Signs of Life is a cliffhanger is an understatement. There is no pretty red bow to tie everything up with, instead as the end gets closer, the action ramps up for Jessie and friends.
December 28, 2013
At last I got to return to New Merica and the world of Gameland. Picking up a week or two after the first season ended, it was nice to slip back into the comfortable world of Jessie and The Game. Is it strange that I find a dystopian future where people are conscripted into being Zombies when they reach a certain age to scrub the sewers comforting?
Building on the world of the first season, Saul immediately makes you feel at home and comfortable before ripping the rug out from under you. This is not your average zombie series. Also it ends on a bugger of a cliffhanger. Bring on book two! (No seriously. I want to find out what happens next)
Building on the world of the first season, Saul immediately makes you feel at home and comfortable before ripping the rug out from under you. This is not your average zombie series. Also it ends on a bugger of a cliffhanger. Bring on book two! (No seriously. I want to find out what happens next)
December 14, 2013
This book is an excellent addition to the series! It was impossible to put down 'til the last page was read, even at the risk of not getting my badly needed Christmas shopping done. If you have read the series, buy this book now. If you haven't yet read the series, buy season one AND this book right now. But before you start page one, just make sure you have nothing else important to do for the next several hours.
January 4, 2014
Great story, a great follow up to Gameland Season One. Saul Tanpepper hooks you on page one and takes you on a twisting turning thrill ride to the last page. Warning big cliffhanger coming, biting my nails waiting for the next book.
May 17, 2014
I am addicted to the Gameland series and Signs of Life kept that addiction going. I cant wait for book 2 but I am sad that it will be the last of the series.
February 14, 2019
I thought so.
Is Jessie crazy? Is Micah to blame? Does Kelly have any secrets? You get these answers, with more questions. It's a fantastically real drama with characters I love to hate.
Damnit, Saul Tanpepper! How can you end your books this way!?
When the man says, No one is safe, you better believe it.
Is Jessie crazy? Is Micah to blame? Does Kelly have any secrets? You get these answers, with more questions. It's a fantastically real drama with characters I love to hate.
Damnit, Saul Tanpepper! How can you end your books this way!?
When the man says, No one is safe, you better believe it.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews