When I was younger, watching someone play a computer game stretched as far as waiting for them to hand over the controller so you could have a go. Then, multiplayer games meant you could both play at the same time, which reduced or eliminated the need to watch others. Then came YouTube and Twitch and in-game events, and spectating somehow became as much of a pastime as playing. Now we have MURDER INFERNO by Stephen Winter, which takes the whole idea and propells it beyond where we are today, into a dazzling near-future iteration.
A glittering opening set-piece which takes place in a stadium, cinematically sets the scene for a high stakes virtual gaming extravaganza. The story quickly pulls the reader into an extrapolation of the future of the gaming event, Not only is it a spectator sport, but it exists to promote and push content and updates out like candy to sugar-addicted kids.
We’re introduced to the main characters, a clan of elite players, as they prepare for a marathon gaming session culminating in a gnarly boss battle.
Later, when a murder takes place, a homage to the great Agatha Christie emerges, but the additional dimension of a VR gaming world that plays a huge part in the story means that as a reader you can never completely run back to the safety of those murder mystery tropes. Not completely. What we have is a fascinating balance of the old and the new.
The pacing of this book is first-rate. Honestly, I was really impressed by the propulsive plotting, and smart structure. This would make a great movie. Not least because I would love to see more of the lovable VR gaming dog! But the set pieces and visuals would translate beautifully to the screen.
Stephen Winter has crafted a very believable version of a future world where immersive gaming is taken to the max. All of the gaming elements feel real and well defined. When the time comes to lift the lid on the murder, we’re blessed with a slam-dunk of an ending. With an impressive tying up of loose ends, and the realisation of the intricate foreshadowing throught the book, MURDER INFERNO is a class act.