In the city-state of Easton, an augmented reality known as Veneer has spread to every facet of daily life. It has replaced computers and televisions, books and paintings. Those who can control the veneer live in a constant state of redefinition, of the world and of themselves. Those who cannot are forced to stand by and watch the world change without them.

Deron Bishop wants to live in the augmented world, but reconciling the veneer has always been a challenge. Already resentful of the one thing he could never master, Deron doesn't realize how much he needs the veneer until a violent run-in with a childhood rival robs him of his virtual sight.

Now able to see the world as it truly exists, Deron must choose to abandon Easton or fight his way back to the veneered fantasy of his previous life--a fight not everyone wants him to win.

"[Verastiqui] masterfully blends elements of science fiction, the coming of age of adolescents, and a suspenseful story line with multiple twists that will make you laugh and question your reality at the same time. I found myself letting loose a hearty guffaw on one page, while on the very next page I was murmuring a "holy cow!" whilst raising my brow, which leads to those rare 'I must finish this chapter' moments." - KirbyLane7

When X discovers that his long distance relationship with C is about to end, he copies her mind and loads her into a virtual avatar in the Net. But in his haste to preserve his high school sweetheart, X forgets to program the one feature he ends up needing most: how to turn her off.

Now it is up to Natalie and G to rescue their friend from the farthest reaches of the Net. Along the way, they must battle a cipher who cannot be killed, a virus that cannot be stopped, and a global conglomerate that will do anything to seize control of the precious Net.

"Xronixle is simply an astonishing, clever, funny, and suspenseful work of the imagination. What begins as a tale of longing for a distant love in a technologically advanced future of simulated reality constructs, downloadable consciousness, and hackers-for-hire, this cyber-thriller takes a dark turn as the protagonist ‘X” becomes entangled in a virtual maelstrom. Verastiqui’s take on human nature, advanced technology and their respective combination is a thoroughly enjoyable read and will keep you both laughing and on the edge of your seat the whole time. The ‘G’ character is especially memorable and the “data rush” scene alone is worth the price of the book!" - Scott G.

Alex had been to Narita before, twice in fact, but never had he seen it so crowded. It was as if every tourist in the world had suddenly descended on Tokyo, streaming off the plane into the city, completely unaware that it would eat them alive if they weren’t careful. In those days, the Yen was trading at 150, which gave them an edge, but not much of one. Tokyo was all bright lights and big city to the wide-eyed gaijin, standing around hypnotized by the dancing colors and neon arcs, until someone pulled them off the street into a dark alley.

Suddenly they weren’t in Tokyo anymore. Now it was Dangerville, population two. And while anarchy might have been the preference of the angst-ridden teenagers of the day, it never quite worked out in practical applications. Yet, the caravan rolled on, unaware of the potholes awaiting them.

Join Alex on his mission in Destination Okinawa, just one of the 14 stories in this book.

Selected short stories from the 2004 print edition of The Sum of Memory, including Parlance, Mosey General, Chelubai, Midnight Playground, 3rd Period, Dreamlover, Marinero, Case #442, Reflections, Spark, Code, Timeless, The New Kid, and Shadow Beach. Also includes the original Sum of Memory short story, which was later expanded into the novel Xronixle.

"great book!... Shadow Beach and Reflections are must reads" - Jennifer W