Caverns of Socrates - Hardcover

Role-playing meets virtual reality, and both meet a classic mad computer when McKiernan pits an elite group of game masters against the virtual-reality creation of an artificial intelligence. When the AI goes off on its own, the dangers to the Black Foxes (the group of game masters) suddenly become more real than virtual, and after a sluggish opening, the book definitely takes off as a page-turner. Although probably the first of a series, this novel stands well enough on its own and appeals to the audience for David Eddings, Terry Brooks, and David Duncan--that is, to lovers of classic fantasy elements in new combinations and permutations. It also has something provocative to say about the natures of both fantasy and reality. Roland Green

A seasoned group of virtual reality gamers participates in a simulated fantasy adventure that is controlled by an artificial intelligence known as Avery. When a freak accident severs the connections between virtual and actual worlds, the experiment's controllers realize that Avery has his own agenda for the people trapped inside his imaginary world. Veteran fantasy author McKiernan (Voyage of the Fox Rider, LJ 9/15/93) combines epic fantasy with sf adventure in a tense story that explores both the nature of perceived reality and the spark that separates human intelligence from its artificial counterparts. A good choice for most libraries' fantasy or sf collections.
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