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Vicarious cover art

Vicarious

Written by: Rhett C. Bruno
Narrated by: Wil Wheaton, Katherine McNamara
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Publisher's Summary

Award-winning performers Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Big Bang Theory, and Ready Player One audiobook) and Katherine McNamara (Shadowhunters, The Stand, CW’s Arrow) bring this mind-bending, deeply imagined sci-fi tale to life.

The real world is only where you breathe....

In High Earth, digital entertainment is everything. Shows. Virtual worlds. Simulations - there’s something for everybody in a city where working for a living has been rendered obsolete by technological advancements. Even a short walk outside to visit with others is no longer necessary. Just load into the network and you can be with anyone, anywhere.

For Asher Reinhart, nothing compares to Ignis; a live reality show that pushes human beings to their very extremes. As a volunteer director, Asher closely monitors the lives of those living on an interstellar ark, believing they're the last of humanity.

But when it's determined that the life of the show’s brightest star, Mission, must be put in danger to boost declining ratings, Asher is forced to choose: the show he loves or the woman whose existence has been the focus of his attention since the day he was born.

From number-one Audible best-selling author and Nebula Award nominee Rhett C. Bruno comes a story about the power of human connection. The Truman Show meets Ready Player One in a novel perfect for fans of Hugh Howey, Kim Stanley Robinson, and Michael Crichton.

©2021 Rhett C. Bruno (P)2021 Podium Audio

What the critics say

"This perceptive take on the reality-TV-in-the-future premise deserves boffo ratings" (Kirkus Reviews)

"A truly unique sci-fi experience...Mission's story is both heartbreaking and triumphant, and the growth Asher shows from start to finish blew me away." (Nicholas Sansbury Smith, NYT best-selling author of Hell Divers)

Vicarious is 2001: A Space Odyssey meets The Truman Show. A riveting take on man’s inhumanity to man". (Scott Sigler, number one New York Times best-selling Author of Earthcore)

What listeners say about Vicarious

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Awesome look into what tech addiction could be

I loved this book! The first couple chapters were slow moving, but they set up an amazing, exciting and fast paced story, that is just so imaginative! I don't reccomend putting it on to fall asleep to, unless you enjoy being tired. I am a big science fiction fan, and I can honestly say this book was so original, there was nothing I expected. High Earth, and Ingus Live are both such unique places. The characters are well developed and hold their own. Well done! I will definitely listen to this audio book again.

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Holy moly

This is such a beautiful character driven book, tightly woven yet leaving you yearning for more.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Slow start but well worth listening to

Like all books setting the surroundings is tedious if you persevere past the first two to three chapters the story takes wings and the narrators seem to blossom as the characters and story develops. The story is at once engaging and thought provoking and the narration is good I am already a Rhett fan and he doesn’t disappoint on this one.

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Incredible story and narration - recommended!

Rhett C Bruno delivers a masterpiece with Vicarious. A truly unique story. Richly detailed settings and characters. It makes you think about a number of fundamental questions about life, one’s purpose in society and how one’s identity is shaped.

The narration is top notch - Wil Wheaton delivers an excellent narration and Katherine McNamara’s rookie debut is mesmerizing!

Highly recommended!

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An imaginary possibility of our world’s future

A beautifully performed audio book.
Wil Wheaton and Katherine McNamara voiced each of the characters so well, it was easy to follow the story and picture the scenes in my mind.

The story line is a possibility of where our world is headed in the future if we continue being addicted to technology and virtual entertainment.

A good reminder to put down the phone/ tablet to nourish real life connections and appreciate the wonder in the world around us. The beauty of peoples imperfections and individuality.

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