There was, however, no doubt that the streets were abandoned, and there was occasional suggestion that a few post-apocalyptic mutants might liven things up’īlack introduces us to this future world and the virtual world through several different groups of characters. We weren’t on the verge of an environmental disaster, there were no warring nations fighting over scarce natural resources as many economists had hypothesised, nor were there any post-apocalyptic mutants rampaging through abandoned streets. ‘the Year 2064 did not turn out as many had predicted. Many still choose to work, in or out of game-play (one of the few surviving real-life roles that has not been taken over by an AI is hair-dressing / barber), and many who play strive to become ‘someone’ in the game, to obtain sponsorships from companies (another allusion to today, a huge nod at the roles todays youngsters strive for: online video game streamer / influencer paid through sponsorships online). Everyone gets the same pay in the real world, so one does not need to stress about work. The novel is set several years after ASTROVID-42, in the year 2064, and most people spend their time in VR. During the ASTROVID-42 pandemic in Black’s novel, people began to spend more and more time in the Metaverse, and when the pandemic began to ease-off there was no reason for anyone to go back to, what was once, ‘normal.’ Many of our friends and colleagues still refuse to re-enter the realm of the office, opting instead to stay at home. During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 (onwards) many learnt the luxury of working from home and obtaining a little more of a work-life-balance. The backlash of ASTROVID-42, i.e that no-one wished to leave their homes, is a hilarious acknowledgement of the ‘work from home,’ bug that has infected the post-covid world. What was surprising is that after the crisis had passed no one really wanted to come out.’ People shopped, worked, went to school and socialised from home. ‘In the early 2040s, the extremely contagious pandemic ASTROVID-42 had forced many into their homes for six months. When talking about Meta: Game On, it is impossible to ignore the allusions Black makes to other texts, media and contemporary issues, beginning of course with the ‘ASTROVID-42’ pandemic that has forced the humans of the future into lockdown. Thanks to the creation of the cybernet almost everything could be done without leaving home.’ ‘There was of course one other factor: Cyberspace. From the Cult of Virtualism spreading religious teachings across the virtual world to Zombie-riots interrupting the games narrative, Black packs in an incomprehensible amount of detail and satirical nuance, challenging our contemporary and ever-changing relationships with technology, the world and each other. The bulk of the novel is set in Brith, a VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game), and Brith is littered with SFF Novums, freaky happenings and game-play cliches. I had no idea what to expect upon opening my review copy, diving into the metaverse and the world of Brith, but it wasn’t this phantasmagorical insight into our collective, speculative future in VR. Xander Black’s, Meta: Game On, shocked me. He has a few more stories brewing that may be disposed of soon. When not writing he’s reading, watching film & TV, hanging with Sarah, Hesper, and Hattie, and occasionally playing the odd video game. He’s now focused on creating cheap disposable stories. Xander wasted a lifetime creating cheap disposable ideas to sell cheap disposable products. It was unsurprising that over the years, as people looked for meaning in their lives, new ideologies emerged.’ ‘The Cyberage was one of atheism and isolationism.
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