Otherland: City of Golden Shadow
Otherland: River of Blue Fire
Otherland: Mountain of Black Glass
Otherland: Sea of Silver Light

         

Krystalia once told everyone on the dc-stuff mailing list about a great book
to read. without hesitation i bought it. Otherland: City of Golden Shadow by
Tad Williams is without a doubt a great book, set in the future, i could
relate to how i live today. on the internet, we have our own channels,
newsgroups, websites and communities. the only thing different in tad
williams book was the equipment used to get online, and even that is not to
far away if not here already in prototype.
and in all the books that follow (see below) it has been not a story, but a
reality of how people lose them selves in the internet, creating a better
world for themselves.
There was a time i just plugged into the internet and be in an online accoma
for weeks without food, without even relising what was going on around me in
the real world.


The book comprises of 8 stories that twist into one large one.

Paul Jonas is in pursuit of the mysterious bird women, that keeps apearing,
an apparation that he dreams ? or is she real ?. all the while avoiding two
dangerous men hunting him down 'Finch & Mullet'. Paul is lost in a strange 
world with no memomery of who he is and how he got there.

My favorite charachter Orlando Gardener crippled with a fatel disese,
escapes reality by living in a role playing game world. His name is Thargor,
he is strong & defeats his enemies with ease. While battleing a lower score 
monster his attention is diverted to a mysterious golden city that appears  
before him. the mostor strikes him down. how could a lowscore monster defeat
the famous Thargor, and what is this new part of the network, a new level?  
His inquiries to the server council are all for naught, they tell him there 
is no such thing and to be a sport and accept the battle lost.
Orlando starts a new quest with his best friend and gamming companion Sam
Fredricks they hack into the 'Treehouse' and meet up with 'the Wickerd   
Tribe' who help them hack into the Otherland Network.

Rene a teacher at a south african university and her student !xabbu (a
tribesman) are trying to solve the mystery of her young brother and other
children whom have been stuck down by a new illness, the one thing in commen
is all the children slip into acoma while online. Rene's enquirys lead her  
to Dr Susan Van Bleek who is then murdered, so Susan's servent Jeremiah gets
rene intouch with Martine Desroubins who in turn gets them into the Tree
house to meet a retired hacker Singh who helps them hack into the 'otherland
network' They lose Singh during the connect, but find the golden city along 
with soon to be traveling companions on the same quest Sweet William,
Florimel, Quan Li & Tab along witht he owners of the golden city Bolivar
Atasco & his Wife. here is where they all meet the mysterious Mr. Sellers

Dread a murderer in real life is hired by Felix Jongleur the richest man in
the world as a hired killer. Felix took an interest in this disfunctional
man when dread was a teenager he seemed to have a special quility, a special
power. Dread enters the system as a guest and kills the Atasco's along with
one other, taking over the sim he blends intot eh traveling party and plans
to take each out one by one. its a game to him and the best one yet.
The otherland network is sick and with the glitches int he system if you
have not been invited then you don't exist. you die online means you die in
RL.

Mr. Sellers a very old weird looking man who lives on a army base, a
prisoner yet know one really knows why or remembers. Sellers takes advantage
of this and is busy finding ways to get online without anyone suspecting
anything. as if he is a condemed hacker he is not alowd any electronics or
phone gear. he spends his life getting around this problem, then inlists the
little girl who visits him (the only person who visits him) to get some
weird things for him. He seems to know more about the Otherland network than
the creators.

Olga Pirofsky who works in a childrens interactive program Mr jingles, has
never gotten over the death of her baby son and husband. the only children
she has are the children online. but when she starts hearing voices in her
head and screaming children. olga starts to listen, the voices point her to
the direction of Felix Jongleur's tower.

Catur Ramsey the laywer for th Fredricks and the Gardiners finds him self
tangled in the middle, pulling every one together with the help of orlandos
software agent 'beezle bug'.

Australian Detective Calliope Skouros is investigating a murder, but every
lead brings her to a dead man 'Dread' .

Who is Azador and Emily 22813, for puppets of the network cannot go from one
sim to another within the network, but these two can. so who are they and
what is there importance?

to buy this book or see more reviews Otherland: City of Golden Shadow

Otherland: River of Blue Fire
Otherland: Mountain of Black Glass
Otherland: Sea of Silver Light

Other Books by Tad Williams

Child of an Ancient City
Stone of Farewell
Tailchaser's Song
To green angel tower
To green angel tower 2
The Dragonbone chair
Memory, Sorrow, & Thorn
Caliban's Hour
Treasury of Fantasy