This is one for those who loved The Hunger Games, or the Maze Runner series. Extropia: Mind Game is a science-fiction novel that iterates on some of the classic themes of the genre – virtual reality and artificial intelligence – and combines them with the gameplay rules and scenarios of chart topping games such as SkyRim. “What really excited me,” explains Robin, “was to take an everyday gamer, place him in what he thinks is an everyday game, but then to spin the game on its head: to make it visually real and physically dangerous, but more importantly, to take a look at what happens when the intelligence and emotions of the game characters become increasingly advanced, to the point of being indecipherable from those of a human. The hero’s darkest moments occur as he realises that the characters in the game are genuinely suffering; a suffering inflicted on them by his father, the game’s creator.”
“Talk of computer games shouldn’t put anyone off, however,” adds Robin. “The game is set in a world like Middle Earth, and the familiar themes and fast-paced nature of the story should appeal to a broad audience.” Comparable to the work of Suzanne Collins and James Dashner, Extropia: Mind Game combines elements of science-fiction and fantasy to create a virtual dystopian reality.