Stealing Worlds

Written by Karl Schroeder

Narrated by Nancy Wu

From Karl Schroeder, author of Lockstep, comes the near-future, science fiction, hacker's heist, Stealing Worlds. Sura Neelin is on the run from her creditors, from her past, and her father's murderers. She can't get a job, she can't get a place to live, she can't even walk down the street: the total surveillance society that is mid-21st century America means that every camera and every pair of smart glasses is her enemy. But Sura might have a chance in the alternate reality of the games. People can disappear in the LARP game worlds, into the alternate economy of Notchcoin and blockchains. The people who build the games also program the surveillance networks-she just needs an introduction, and the skills to play. Turns out, she has very valuable skills, and some very surprising friends.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 18, 2019
• ISBN: 9781980032397

Karl Schroeder

KARL SCHROEDER is a professional futurist as well as one of Canada's most popular science fiction and fantasy authors. He divides his time between writing and conducting workshops and speaking on the potential impacts of science and technology on society. He is the author of The Million, as well as a half-dozen previous SF novels.

Reviews for Stealing Worlds

[ehines_20 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm afraid I'm just not as impressed as it seems everyone else is. Though it tries hard to cover this up by being current (mansplaining! Trumpees!) and sophisticated, at heart this book is preachy and didactic. This is not always a horrible thing if your are getting your lessons & sermon from someone who *really* knows something you don't, I never get the impression that Schroeder is that person. Like reading one of those novels centering on driving home the evils of nuclear war from the 1980s.

[kardaen-358849 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Times being what they are, with the coronavirus attacking the world, and so many of us being affected in so many ways, it was a bit surreal listening to this book on Audible. I wouldn't call this dystopian, although it is set in a world where global warming has devastated the Earth, and the promise of capitalism is shown to be an empty vessel. Aside from using the an eff bomb repeatedly as a character contrivance, Stealing Worlds is an absolutely spectacular novel. Virtual and Mixed Reality, Live Action Role Playing (LARP), block-chain technology, politics, and revolution all have a place in this thriller by Karl Schroeder.
Sura Neelin is on the run after her father is murdered and she doesn’t even know who she is running from. The society has evolved into one of complete and constant surveillance, but she might have a chance in the virtual game world, using smart glasses and block-chain tech. His characters are distinctive and well-drawn, and as the plot moves along, I liked Sura more and more. Her first mentor, Compass, turns out to be a broken but gifted young woman, and Nancy Wu, who is the reader for this audiobook, brings Compass to life. The evolution of the game world economy and the smart tech of the world, with its " Internet of Things," is brilliantly conceived and makes for a mind-stretching read.
With all of the political gyrations I wondered how he would pull off the grandiose plot, but he stuck the landing, very satisfying. Highly recommended!