He built a digital refuge for the dying. Now he may never leave it.
When Vinestead engineer Ken Barnes is shot in Austin's Old Downtown district, he finds himself trapped inside the House of Nepenthe—a virtual reality construct built from his own memories. Designed as a last-resort digital hospice, the House should allow him to communicate with the outside world while his body lies in a hospital bed.
But something is wrong. The connection is blocked. His personal assistant is hiding something behind her professional smile. And the House won’t stop digging up memories he spent years trying to bury.
Return to the Vinestead Universe. June 2, 2026.
I've been reading non-fiction by Henry Miller and Anaïs Nin in the hopes of transporting myself back to a time I've romanticized as being the height of literary community. I love the little insights into their thinking, their processes, and their feelings. I also like seeing
House of Nepenthe by Daniel Verastiqui is now available for Kindle preorder. The eighth entry in the Vinestead Anthology releases June 2, 2026.
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Spoilers for Death Stranding 2 ahead.
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