Dreamshards

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

As the 21st century creeps past its midpoint, Earth’s galactic neighbors make their presence known and send us a mysterious game. Those in power ponder how first contact will change the political landscape, game companies plan and plot how best to take advantage of their new competitor, but for one jaded game designer and tester, this may be the opportunity of a lifetime.

This is my first publicly posted fiction, reviews and suggestions are welcome. New chapters come as I finish them, about once every 3 weeks at the moment.

Contents:sci-fi, fantasy, full-dive VRMMO, progression, light elements of litrpg and cultivation

Information

Status
Hiatus
Year
2021
Author
silver7017

Tags

FANTASYVIRTUAL REALITYADVENTURESCI-FIGAMELITPROGRESSION

Royal Road Stats

Rating
4.6/ 5.0
Followers
221
Views
94,337

Chapters(49 total)

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(6)

  • DawnPaladinRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    Interesting and unique worldbuilding, both inside and outside of the game. I like all the fun, original stuff the protagonist is doing with a game ability we normally take for granted. The main character is relatable and fun to inhabit. This is one of the best stories I've seen in some time.
  • DoorfrogRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    Good story so far, I like the exploration of this system's powers that develop through use. The VR world itself seems a lot more dynamic than the usual bog standard start at floor 1 and make your way to floor 100. The VR creators seem a little more mysterious than the normal option of "Congratulations! Your world is now interdimensional TV for your new overlords."
    You'll probably like this if you liked The Daily Grind or the Tower of Somnus as it has some similar themes as both with a high quality of writing.
  • LaithmeanslionRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    As an avid reader of sci-fi from writers such as Anne McCaffrey, Stephen Baxter and Ernest Cline this story tickles that part of my brain that loves to imagine what the future of our pale blue dot of a world could be like and I'm eager to see where the story will go next
  • TzendrixRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    I'm thoroughly enjoying the story so far.  Can't wait for the next chapters to be released!  For me, the setting invokes aspects of Shadowrun and SAO, but with an interesting take on a potential for the social landscape of the not too distant future.  It's easy to digest, lacking overly complex technologies or other unique aspects that require pages to explain.  It's a story that keeps me scrolling for more!
  • WalterGLRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    This story is a really good skew on the dot Hack 'virtual reality but it matters' concept, and I really like the elements of the real world reacting to the game as well.  There is a neat slow burn on the reveal of the world the main character lives in, as well as the virtual world being explored.  This is a good story.
  • oopsididitRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 4.5
    First, at the time of this review the story is on hiatus. At 130,000 some words, is nowhere near a finish. Because I like tying things up in a neat bow, I took off half a star.
    This is a story about humanity's invitation to a cultural exchange with aliens, via the tutorial section of a curious game one plays using "keys" that bind to a player's body and soul. The protagonist is a game tester, designer, and developer named Will who lives in an arcology near New York City in the latter part of the twenty-first century.
    The dystopian society he lives in occasions much of the conflict he faces.
    Some things I like are the main character's skewed take on his society and the investigation of the enchanting new world that kept me reading long after bedtime.
    How I wish there were more of the story! I must confess that something so well put together must surely require extreme care and unkown pains and time out of mind, such that it is better not to dwell on such thoughts--rather I am greatful for what is revealed so far.
    My recommendation for this story is for people who like portal fantasy/isekai, for people who like magical realism with a touch of horror, for people who find it is nevertheless a marvelous and intricately discoverable world in the midst of all aridity and disappointment with human foible.