Killobyte

By Piers Anthony

There is a lot about Killobyte that is similar to Xanth, the fictional world of Anthony's most famous and popular series. There is a dragon, an evil sorceror, an imp (the computer hacker), a beautiful, sexy princess, magic, and quests of a sort. About the only thing lacking are the puns and the lightheartedness of the Xanth stories. Otherwise the tone is very Xanth-like.
Walter Toland is a paraplegic ex-cop. He has rented a virtual reality online computer adventure game called Killobyte. Another player is Baal Curran, a depressed teen. Walter rented the game because he wanted to experience life as a normal man, not a cripple. Baal is in the game because it gives players a chance to experience death without actually dying and Baal is toying with the idea of suicide as she is having a hard time dealing with being a diabetic. They meet in the game when Baal is playing the Princess and Walter is the evil sorcerer. Just as they are starting to get friendly, the hacker traps Walter in the game. The hacker has infected the game with a virus that keeps the player from quitting the game. (Now here is a major problem I had with the story. The players are strapped into the game and can't get out if they can't exit. I just can't buy that idea that people would let themselves be strapped down or that a game vendor would sell such a dangerous product.) Baal agrees to help Walter escape the hacker and she quits and contacts the game maker and gets a patch that will lock the hacker into the game. But when she logs back on, she discovers that the hacker has now locked her into the game. And she also realizes her blood sugar has gotten dangerously low and she is at risk of going into diabetic shock. Walter also is facing death as the game is adversely affecting his pacemaker. They appeal to the hacker for the code to release them from the game, but he suspects they are trying to trick him and he refuses. He then runs off and Walter and Baal have to chase him across the virtual reality worlds of the game.

Despite its flaws and improbabilities and resemblance to Xanth, I found this an interesting and enjoyable read. It was fast paced and exciting and the idea of virtual reality is intriguing. Imagine a world where you can pursue any fantasy and look any way you choose! Where you can leave the limitations of your body behind and where any setting, real or imaginary is there to be enjoyed. What a deal!

Review from Kirkus Reviews:   https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/piers-anthony/killobyte/.