Monday, June 4, 2012

Teeth in the Dark by Sean Roney


Real Life vs. Reality

What a different kind of story this was for me! I don’t play video games, however, Teeth in the Dark was a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure.

Saraj and her co-worker friends are creating a virtual reality game. Saraj takes the game to an extreme level and thinks the game is real. From snow-covered dirt roads, to the scents of evergreens, to the aromas of baked goods, Sean Roney delights his readers with extraordinary descriptions.

Elk’s Crossing has official colors of green and black which are displayed and sold by merchants. And what characters the merchants are! To name a couple, a sexist rat and a perverted brute come to mind.

I had the feeling of standing right next to Saraj as she tried to avoid traps and pranks created by her co-workers in their effort to perfect the game.

This short story came to life for me.  It was fun to read something where I actually felt anxious as Saraj was crazily thinking this was real life. I wondered how far she was willing to go.

I was left with the impression that Saraj struggled with her identity. In the game she looked completely different and seemed to like her virtual self a bit more than her real life. I wonder about that . . .  how far can programmers actually take their skill?

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