Imagine an alternate reality similar to ours except they had full-on immersive virtual reality in the 90s instead of just CompuServe and Bulletin Board Systems. Now throw in seemingly bulletproof hackers, synthetic humans indistinguishable from the real thing, and an evil corporation hell-bent on world domination, and you've just described the Vinestead Universe. The books below all take place there and reuse some of the same characters, places, and technology. I hope you like callbacks and cameos.
You can read these books in any order, but I think Perion Synthetics is the best starting point. The most popular entry is Veneer, which takes augmented reality to its inevitable conclusion. If you like a little mind-bending in your science fiction, Vise Manor is pure dinner party murder mystery, while Por Vida has a twist so shocking I'll give you $20 if you guess it ahead of time. I will always have a special place in my heart for Xronixle, since it was my first book, but at the same time, it was my first book.
I jump back and forth in the universe a lot. If you'd rather read the books in chronological order for max no-spoilers, here's how:
The inventor of the Guardian Angel biochip runs his last program.
A hacker copies his girlfriend into the Net; it doesn't go well.
The Guardian Angel Bill is passed; Calle Cinco strikes back.
The Synthetic Revolution begins with the death of James Perion.
Someone murdered a hacker; now they're going to pay.
The secrets of Brigham Plaza return for a night of dinner, drinks, and murder.
At the end of the world, the synthetic killing machines will be the least of our problems.
Your world is a simulation; the truth is much worse.
Seeing is believing when augmented reality covers every surface.
Daniel Verastiqui started writing stories when he was ten years old. He didn't know anything about marketing books then, and the situation has not improved since. At this point in his life, he would very much like to simply write books, publish them on Amazon, and reap the fame and fortune that is sure to follow without having to tik-tok this or instagram that.
Daniel is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin (English / Computer Science). He has published seven books and several short stories. He lives with his wife, children, and canine writing partner in a suburb of Austin. That is literally everything you need to know about him.
You can reach me at daniel at verastiqui with a .com thrown on there are the end. As far as social media goes, you can find me on Instagram and Threads.