Praise for Bash Bash Revolution
“A new gaming novel Bash Bash Revolution, is in some ways the antithesis to Ready Player One, even imagining how artificial intelligence could work against capitalist production.” —The Guardian
“A fun read; that is, until you close the book and start thinking about its implications. This is not a cartoonish sketch: it is a realistic and bleak look at the post-singularity world. An easy suggestion for fans of current, accessible science fiction that thoughtfully contemplates AI such as Cline's Ready Player One or Cargill's Sea of Rust, but it is also a great choice for those who enjoy John Scalzi’s narrative style.” —Booklist, starred review
“A page-turner with a strong philosophical bent, Bash Bash Revolution is up there with some of the best VR-influenced sci-fi of the past thirty years and will sit comfortably with works like Snow Crash and Ready Player One on any reader’s bookshelf, virtual or otherwise, for years to come.”—Small Press Reviews
"Though it tangles with thorny and extremely current issues, both technological and philosophical, Bash Bash Revolution is, ultimately, about human beings. It’s unsettling and thought-provoking, a fast-paced coming-of-age story for a digital era in which we’re no longer sure what growing up means.”—B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog
“A very enjoyable, thought provoking, and page turning read . . . Fans of unique Artificial Intelligences and the singularity will find this one a must read, as well as science fiction readers who want some current social commentary.” —Signal Horizon
“Bearing similarities to M.T. Anderson’s Feed, this timely novel explores the affordances and pitfalls of connecting and changing the world with technology.”—School Library Journal
“A fascinating mash-up of philosophy and video game culture. The kind of book that will stick with you long after you put it down.” —A.C. Wise, author of The Kissing Booth Girl and Other Stories
“Hip, intelligent and utterly addictive. Strap in for a wild ride.”—Gareth L. Powell, author of Ack-Ack Macaque and Embers of War
"A sharp shell of inventive geeky goodness around a devastatingly human core."—Suzanne Palmer
Praise for Douglas Lain
“Douglas Lain has a great brain. I am hugely impressed with his prospects...”
—Jonathan Lethem, New York Times bestselling author
“Lain’s writing is unsettling, ferociously smart, and extremely addictive.”
—Kelly Link, author of Get in Trouble and Magic for Beginners
“I don't know anyone else doing quite what Lain is doing; fascinating work, moving, strikingly honest, powerful.”
—Locus
Praise for Bash Bash Revolution
“A new gaming novel Bash Bash Revolution, is in some ways the antithesis to Ready Player One, even imagining how artificial intelligence could work against capitalist production.” —The Guardian
“A fun read; that is, until you close the book and start thinking about its implications. This is not a cartoonish sketch: it is a realistic and bleak look at the post-singularity world. An easy suggestion for fans of current, accessible science fiction that thoughtfully contemplates AI such as Cline's Ready Player One or Cargill's Sea of Rust, but it is also a great choice for those who enjoy John Scalzi’s narrative style.” —Booklist, starred review
“A page-turner with a strong philosophical bent, Bash Bash Revolution is up there with some of the best VR-influenced sci-fi of the past thirty years and will sit comfortably with works like Snow Crash and Ready Player One on any reader’s bookshelf, virtual or otherwise, for years to come.”—Small Press Reviews
"Though it tangles with thorny and extremely current issues, both technological and philosophical, Bash Bash Revolution is, ultimately, about human beings. It’s unsettling and thought-provoking, a fast-paced coming-of-age story for a digital era in which we’re no longer sure what growing up means.”—B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog
“A very enjoyable, thought provoking, and page turning read . . . Fans of unique Artificial Intelligences and the singularity will find this one a must read, as well as science fiction readers who want some current social commentary.” —Signal Horizon
“Bearing similarities to M.T. Anderson’s Feed, this timely novel explores the affordances and pitfalls of connecting and changing the world with technology.”—School Library Journal
“A fascinating mash-up of philosophy and video game culture. The kind of book that will stick with you long after you put it down.” —A.C. Wise, author of The Kissing Booth Girl and Other Stories
“Hip, intelligent and utterly addictive. Strap in for a wild ride.”—Gareth L. Powell, author of Ack-Ack Macaque and Embers of War
"A sharp shell of inventive geeky goodness around a devastatingly human core."—Suzanne Palmer
Praise for Douglas Lain
“Douglas Lain has a great brain. I am hugely impressed with his prospects...”
—Jonathan Lethem, New York Times bestselling author
“Lain’s writing is unsettling, ferociously smart, and extremely addictive.”
—Kelly Link, author of Get in Trouble and Magic for Beginners
“I don't know anyone else doing quite what Lain is doing; fascinating work, moving, strikingly honest, powerful.”
—Locus
03/01/2018
Gr 8 Up—Seventeen-year-old high school dropout Matthew Munson lives a low-key life between playing the popular video game Bash Bash Revolution and meet-ups with his religious girlfriend Sally at the local Dairy Queen. But then his father Jeffrey Munson, who has been a very sporadic presence, returns with an AI machine he's been working on with the U.S. government. Although his motives are sometimes questionable, the father insists on bonding with his son over video games. Jeffrey becomes quite good at Bash Bash Revolution, even better than his son, and enters a local gaming tournament. Then, just as father and son seem to be connecting, Jeffrey disappears once again, encouraging Matthew to investigate his father's whereabouts, as well as the AI machine. Bearing similarities to M.T. Anderson's Feed, this timely novel explores the affordances and pitfalls of connecting and changing the world with technology. VERDICT Recommended for most YA shelves.—Margaret A. Robbins, University of Georgia, Athens
