Review Detail

Virch is a fast-paced SF novel with engaging characters that explores the idea that reality may be a complex concept to pin down. When virtual realities are no more than a zig-zag glance away, how do we know that we are living an actual existence and are not "riding our tiny boat of reality in a sea of illusion," as the character Liv describes it? More importantly, does it truly matter whether we live a dream? Do our lives and how we live them matter? Liv lives in the poor part of this world, and her sister has contracted a mental poison that will eventually kill her if her sister can't get the cure. The story has a love interest, but it works alongside the attempt to right the wrongs of the world. The story moves quickly, and at times, I felt it got muddied down a bit with the question of what reality is. What is real? If you like stories about future technology and trying to right the wrongs of the world, Virch would be a good fit.