Killobyte

Piers Anthony

Walter Toland is a paraplegic who feels his life is at an end. The only thing that makes it worthwhile is his virtual reality computer game. In the game, Killobyte, he can be athletic, active, and whole again. He can almost forget the wheelchair that is a permanent part of him now.

He starts the game without reading the manual, preferring to learn on his own. He soon finds ways to overcome the challenges and move on the the next levels until he reaches the levels that interact with other players like himself.

But there is a glitch in the game. A hacker has found a way to annoy legitimate players. Unfortunately Walter and his new friend Baal are the next victims of this hacker. Now Walter and Baal need to find a way out of the game without dying in it - because virtual death could possibly mean real death as well.

This novel deals with the potential of virtual reality games. I'm sure the descriptions in this story are already possible, just not in general use yet. The story is enjoyable - Walter's and Baal's real life stories are the hook to keep the reader. They both have secrets that could ruin the friendship.