Now the head of a major computer gaming group called Corporation 9592 with its own super-successful online fantasy game, T’Rain, Forthrast is caught in the center of a global thriller and a virtual war for dominance that is accidentally triggered by a young gold farmer.While the most visible aspects of gamification in marketing (such as badges and superficial rewards) have been recognized by McGonigal and others as somewhat cynical and potentially exploitative, there is still an effort to salvage the more significant, less visible aspects of gamification, such as its potential to manipulate everyday behaviour and to harness online gamers as a 'human resource' to solve problems such as climate change, obesity, poverty and global conflict (McGonigal 2010).

Luckily for Richard, it was the perfect opportunity to launder his aging hundred dollar bills and begin a new business venture to further expand his fortune. Living an affluent but lonely and monotonous life in B.C., Richard became addicted to the online fantasy game World of Warcraft and like many serious players of the game he also fell into the habit of purchasing viral gold pieces and other desirables from Chinese gold farmers-young men who make a living playing the game and accumulating virtual weapons and armor that can be sold to American and European buyers who have more money than time. Quickly realizing that he could make a lot of fast cash carrying backpack loads of high-grade marijuana across the border into Northern Idaho he began to amass an enormous and illegal fortune. ( )įour decades ago Richard Forthrast, the black sheep of his Iowa-based family, fled to a wild and mountainous corner of British Columbia to avoid the draft.

I admit to cheating a bit on my personal challenge here since I'm basically reading all of the Stephenson stuff I haven't gotten to yet, plus whatever China Miéville stuff fits. As this is the year of the sci-fi challenge for myself, is next on the list. I wasn't 100% with the epilogue, it felt a little forced, but overall, hell yes, Neal Stephenson. Basically, everyone that wasn't a terrorist or Peter, because seriously, fuck Peter. Can I say that I love Zula? Because I totally love Zula. The trade paperback probably weighs about 3 lbs which is a hell of a lot to try and manage while also not falling over on the subway.Īnyway, once I got the digital copy, where it had taken me a month and some to get through the first 300 pages, I managed to finish the 700 or so pages in 2.5 days, which was pretty intense. However, I just couldn't finish it until I had an ebook.

I bought my first copy in paper because a new bookstore had opened in my hood and I wanted to be supportive.

Reamde by neal stephenson