Joe Lorimer is a genius. His finest achievement is the online role-playing game Alternative Dimension, but he sees it as more than a plaything. He's fascinated by the freedoms offered by living in a virtual world and the more sophisticated he makes his creation, the more superior it seems to the alienating, faceless, ugly realities of daily life. His visits reveal many secrets of the psychology of the real people who are creating the avatars he meets. There are lovers, killers, crazies, animals, elves, vampires - even Health and Safety inspectors. Their stories are mostly wry, funny observations on the lives we all live and the real societies they're lived in. But Joe's fascinating attempts to bring the real and virtual together, to fuse the person and the avatar, lead eventually to an outcome which seems a far from ideal solution. Depending on your perspective, the ending is either a triumph or a tragedy.
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About the Author
Bill Kirton was a university lecturer in French before taking early retirement to become a full-time writer. He's won two 2011 Forward National Literature Awards - 'The Sparrow Conundrum' was the overall winner of the Humor category and 'The Darkness' was runner up in the Mystery category. ‘The Sparrow Conundrum’ also won the Readers’ Choice Award for Satire/Humor on the Big Al’s Books and Pals website, 2012. His historical mystery, 'The Figurehead', was long-listed for the 2012 Rubery Book Awards. His radio plays have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and 4 and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. His stage plays have been performed in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and the USA and he's been visiting artist at the Theater Department of the University of Rhode Island on four separate occasions. Material from his Edinburgh Festival revues was broadcast on the BBC, ITV and French television. He's also been a TV presenter, voice-over artist and a Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow at the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, and the universities of Dundee and St Andrews. His published novels are set in the north east of Scotland. 'Material Evidence', 'Rough Justice', the award-winning 'The Darkness', 'Shadow Selves' and 'Unsafe Acts' all feature DCI Jack Carston. 'The Figurehead' is a historical novel set in Aberdeen in 1840. The award-winning 'The Sparrow Conundrum', is a spoof spy/crime novel also set in Scotland and his novella, 'Alternative Dimension' is a satirical fantasy about online role-playing. He has also written a novel for children, ‘The Loch Ewe Mystery’. His short stories have appeared in the Crime Writers' Association annual anthology in 1999, 2005 and 2006. Another was chosen as one of the 'Best British Crime Stories, Vol. 7', a 2010 anthology edited by Maxim Jacubowski. His non-fiction output includes 'Just Write', co-written with Kathleen McMillan, 'Brilliant Study Skills', 'Brilliant Essay', 'Brilliant Dissertation', 'Brilliant Workplace Skills' and 'Brilliant Academic Writing'.
Description:
Joe Lorimer is a genius. His finest achievement is the online role-playing game Alternative Dimension, but he sees it as more than a plaything. He's fascinated by the freedoms offered by living in a virtual world and the more sophisticated he makes his creation, the more superior it seems to the alienating, faceless, ugly realities of daily life. His visits reveal many secrets of the psychology of the real people who are creating the avatars he meets. There are lovers, killers, crazies, animals, elves, vampires - even Health and Safety inspectors. Their stories are mostly wry, funny observations on the lives we all live and the real societies they're lived in. But Joe's fascinating attempts to bring the real and virtual together, to fuse the person and the avatar, lead eventually to an outcome which seems a far from ideal solution. Depending on your perspective, the ending is either a triumph or a tragedy.
**
About the Author
Bill Kirton was a university lecturer in French before taking early retirement to become a full-time writer. He's won two 2011 Forward National Literature Awards - 'The Sparrow Conundrum' was the overall winner of the Humor category and 'The Darkness' was runner up in the Mystery category. ‘The Sparrow Conundrum’ also won the Readers’ Choice Award for Satire/Humor on the Big Al’s Books and Pals website, 2012. His historical mystery, 'The Figurehead', was long-listed for the 2012 Rubery Book Awards. His radio plays have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and 4 and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. His stage plays have been performed in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and the USA and he's been visiting artist at the Theater Department of the University of Rhode Island on four separate occasions. Material from his Edinburgh Festival revues was broadcast on the BBC, ITV and French television. He's also been a TV presenter, voice-over artist and a Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow at the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, and the universities of Dundee and St Andrews. His published novels are set in the north east of Scotland. 'Material Evidence', 'Rough Justice', the award-winning 'The Darkness', 'Shadow Selves' and 'Unsafe Acts' all feature DCI Jack Carston. 'The Figurehead' is a historical novel set in Aberdeen in 1840. The award-winning 'The Sparrow Conundrum', is a spoof spy/crime novel also set in Scotland and his novella, 'Alternative Dimension' is a satirical fantasy about online role-playing. He has also written a novel for children, ‘The Loch Ewe Mystery’. His short stories have appeared in the Crime Writers' Association annual anthology in 1999, 2005 and 2006. Another was chosen as one of the 'Best British Crime Stories, Vol. 7', a 2010 anthology edited by Maxim Jacubowski. His non-fiction output includes 'Just Write', co-written with Kathleen McMillan, 'Brilliant Study Skills', 'Brilliant Essay', 'Brilliant Dissertation', 'Brilliant Workplace Skills' and 'Brilliant Academic Writing'.