From Goodreads:In the center of Long Island's forbidden wasteland, overseen by an omni-powerful corporation known as Arc Properties, is GAMELAND, a virtual reality arcade where the rich and privileged act out their base fantasies employing zombies as avatars. Connected to their Infected Undead Players via neural implants (government-mandated in the event of an outbreak) and using remote gaming controllers, Operators pit the Undead against one other in a high stakes game of violence, money and power. For the poor, the televised action on state-controlled Media streams is both horrifying and powerfully addictive.
Volunteering to become an Undead Player is illegal, but the lure of fame and money attracts some to The Game.
EPISODE 1: Deep Into The Game
Zpocalypto gamer Jessica Daniels and her gang of code jackers decide to break into Long Island's Gameland hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the Infected Undead, and in doing so they risk additional years being added to their Life Service Commitment (a civil or military obligation fulfilled after death). But getting past the barriers - the EM field, the wall surrounding the island, the mined waters - requires the assistance of a stranger to their fold. His inclusion raises tensions within the group, particularly between Jessie and her boyfriend. So too do the risks mount. After a terrifying "accident" during preparation nearly takes the life of one of their members, emotions run dangerously high, threatening to abort their plans.
But they press on, and what they find when they finally arrive in the abandoned wasteland is like nothing they ever expected. Their excitement, however, quickly turns to dread as the reality of their situation - and the dangers - become all too clear.
About Saul Tanpepper the author (from his website):
"after high school, studied pre-medical sciences. i was fascinated with the natural world and, in particular, the workings of the human body. my interests grew keener and keener so that i eventually went on to do my doctoral dissertation in molecular genetics. after that, i taught science. but even though i had left behind that old barren field of my childhood, it didn't mean i ever stopped thinking about
it. in 2001, i wrote and published a short story, BREACH, a tale of hauntings and murder and primal evil.
in 2008, i left my teaching job to write full-time. i still think about that old field and those old stories, but now my tales are haunted by newer things, secrets learned as a scientist. seeded with my understanding of human genetics and disease, the fallow field of my childhood is beginning to sprout, producing fruit for your consumption."
Read this if you like: the Walking Dead, Zombies of any sort and post apocalyptic scenarios such as Divergent (which I previously reviewed) or Hunger Games this might be a series that you enjoy.
My opinion:
The story of Jess and her friends and family and their lives in a zombie made world is compelling and makes you want to read through the night to know what might happen next. The thought of reanimating recently dead people and using them as an army so fewer people are killed or as sewer cleaners in both genius yet disturbing. Its something that I had never thought of but I can see multiple sides to all arguments which is why I probably never decided how I felt about some of the roles certain characters play in this world.
There are some slow parts in the books that slow down a bit and they had me eager for the pace to pick back up but I also felt that the slow parts were necessary as they were also parts when the characters had to slow down physically and could do nothing but anxiously wait for one thing or another. Whether this was intended or just happens to be my take on the scenarios, I enjoyed the parallel.
Throughout the series I found myself attempting to guess what would happen next and unlike most books and movies I can honestly say I had no real clue. Each book leaves a cliffhanger that leaves you wanting to know what happened next and pulls you into the next book. True that not every question is answered in the series but that's how it is in our everyday lives as well so I see no real issues with it. Some of these questions are answered in the prequel, Golgotha which takes place ~18 years prior to the Gameland series.
Pro:
From what I can see on Mr Tanpepper's website it looks as though he is going to be continuing the Gameland series with a second season which will hopefully be beginning publication of the first new episode in the next few months (yippie!). My only reservation will be that I will only be able to get one episode at a time and thus not be able to read the entire season in a weeks time. Looks like I will have to hang onto the cliffs until the next episodes are published.
Con:
For me the most aggravating part was when my Nook would have complications and not want to turn pages or would simply say that it had to stop running my book. I do not know if it was because I was reading the Omnibus version which is like 3200 pages and thus it was running slow as a result or if the book program itself was faulty, in any case its the only book that I have had this issue with.
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