Thousand Tales: Extra Lives
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Virtual World¸ Real Ambition The game "Thousand Tales" offers exciting features: the first true artificial intelligence¸ and for some players¸ the chance to have their brains permanently "uploaded" into its virtual world. Uploading offers ultimate luxury for the rich¸ survival for the dying¸ a haven for criminals -- and for everyone¸ the chance to change and learn and make new things. As the price drops¸ the game's influence grows¸ but so do the threats against it. The digital world has magic¸ transformation¸ and adventure for its growing new community¸ but its AI and ex-human people need something more to be happy. Finding it will take them to strange places: a forgotten battlefield¸ a colony on the ocean's surface¸ the Free State of Texas¸ the slums of India¸ and worlds that don't even exist. Can this game become a new source of freedom for the people both inside and outside it? This book contains seven stories in the world of "Thousand Tales"¸ an upbeat near-future vision based on realistic technology. It's fit for newcomers to the series and for fans alike. This setting is part of the "LitRPG" or "GameLit" subgenre that combines science fiction and fantasy with the world of gaming. Other volumes in the series (readable in any order) cover everything from people caught up in the game itself¸ to new nations springing up in the real world.