At first glance, this book might simply look like an homage to World of Warcraft: Omnitopia is a MMO game that surpasses television and the internet as the world’s number one entertainment source. Everyone and their dog plays. Most players are obsessed. But that’s where it stopped reminding me of WoW and started reeling me in.
Dev is the creator of Omnitopia, an online game that clusters universes together for such an all-encompassing experience that everyone in the world can enjoy it. But still, there is always a need for an expansion, eventually, and that is what Dev is trying to work on, with help of course. That’s just SOP for a game this big. But then his creation becomes something he never expected -– alive.
This was a refreshing read. A.I. has been through the ringer when it comes to scenarios, but Diane Duane brought something new to the table. It’s fascinating to see such an expansive game from multiple points of view – the players, the creators, etc. In giving us such a full picture of what’s going on, she really makes the reading worthwhile. I don’t feel like I was left out of the loop in any important way as the reader, even though I’m not any more than moderately tech-savvy, which was great for a tech-centric novel.
Buy, Borrow, or Pass?
Borrow. All in all, this was a great read, especially for someone interested in A.I.. My only complaint is that it seems to drag a little in a few spots, though it picks up again fairly quickly.
Omnitopia Dawn by Diane Duane
Publisher : DAW; First Edition (August 3, 2010)
Hardcover: 352 pages
ISBN-10: 0756406234
ISBN-13: 978-0756406233
