Omnitopia & other new things from DD

[NickRyan]

I just read Omnitopia Dawn and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes computer stuff.

[Lazy Leopard]

It took me a while to get into Omnitopia Dawn, but I did in the end, and enjoyed it. As a story it round out quite nicely, and while sequels are most definitely possible, it hasn't left me hanging from a cliff, so I'll not worry over much if it's several years before a sequel arrives.

[Ardub]

Huh, I'd been thinking this wasn't coming out until this Spring, so I was pleasantly surprised to see it at the store the other day. Maybe I'm biased because it's about exactly my line of work (game server development) but I had a blast with the way the work itself (as in the employees' tasks of programming and defense) was cast in the light of heroic fantasy like the contents of the game they're working on. And fun concepts that we mull over too, like the shunt worlds (we call it Banadu ) or the CO (would that the one I wrote were as good...)

My mom always complains that she still doesn't understand what I do. I'm trying to figure out if having her read this would help, or just confuse matters more!

[Stellazira]

DD writing a Doctor Who book? I would definitely read that.

I'm trying to read Omnitopia in between studying and I've been working on it since Christmas. I'm going to try finishing it after my exams.

[Stellazira]

I finished it! I loved it. The ending was certainly surprising.

Looking forward to the next one.

[BeowulfMacCool]

I have to admit, I wasn't too excited about Omnitopia Dawn when I first heard about it. The topic just seemed...juvenile, and not in a good way. Thankfully, I was completely wrong. I pre-ordered it solely on the strength of the author's name, and my faith was rewarded in spades.

The characterization was strong, the plot was exciting, the moral dilemmas were thought-provoking. I found the main corporate intrigue plot more enthralling than the bits set in the virtual world, but I have to admit that I spent an awful lot of time thinking about the sort of Microcosm I would develop, given the chance.

Given the political climate these days, I'll confess that I'm still a bit ambivalent about the focus on the corporate world, as enjoyable as it was to read. The contrast between a "good" CEO and a bad one was dead on, but I was a bit uncomfortable with how perfect Dev seemed to be. He was a tad too close to the Randian/Tea Party idea of the businessman as ubermensch for my tastes, although I'm fairly sure that was unintentional.

I was strongly reminded of Duane's Space Cops series, in a good way. The strongest resemblance, though, was to Spider Robinson's The Free Lunch. They both feature two rival entertainment empires, one that focuses on bringing out the best in people while the other focuses on cheap thrills and exploitation. Various acts of industrial espionage are committed, and eventually an entirely new form of life emerges as a significant player. I suppose it's hardly surprising - both Robinson and Duane are disciples of Robert Heinlein, and both books owe an obvious debt to that great man.

Omnitopia Dawn surprised me in the best way possible, and I eagerly await the sequel.

[dorotheia]

What I want to know is, is the listing for Omnitopia: East Wind as an e-book real?

Amazon.com: Omniatopia: East Wind: East Wind (OMNITOPIA) eBook: Diane Duane: Kindle Store

It's available on pre-order, I guess, but its pub date is in 2025, which strikes me as really weird. Usually stuff doesn't get a page on Amazon unless it's a fairly sure thing, I thought. And I didn't think DD had announced it... Games Wizards Play is announced, and it doesn't even have its own page. Color me confused.

[On a side note, I am enjoying the Door series, by the way... ]

[Caledonian]

Alas, I fear it is not to be. Amazon frequently has pages for projects which will never happen, or were cancelled. The release date in question strongly suggests there will be no such book.

[dorotheia]