House of Nepenthe (2026)
After a shooting leaves Kenneth Barnes comatose, his mind retreats into the House of Nepenthe—a virtual sanctuary built from his memories. But with his Guardian Angel chip damaged, the House twists into a nightmare he can't escape. As his friends and enemies close in, Ken must confront the one thing more dangerous than death: his own past.
🔔 Get NotifiedWelcome, Mr. Barnes... to the House of Nepenthe
A pseudo artificial intelligence named Caprice says these words in the opening chapter of House of Nepenthe, the eighth book in a sprawling anthology of stories that all take place in the same universe but aren't direct sequels. If anything, Nepenthe is a prequel of sorts, taking us back to the late nineties, a full year before X fought C for control of the Net in Xronixle. It was all part of an idea I had to trace the essential technology from the Vinestead Universe to back to its origins in the murky past.
And now we know. Kenneth Barnes invented the Guardian Angel chip that terrorizes Americans for decades and spurs Kaili Zabora into domestic terrorism. His friend, Patrick Quinn, designs VNet, Vinestead International's answer to the free and unregulated Net, which becomes the only game in town after Xronixle. But how did we get from there to here? And can we look even further into the past for that one great leap forward that gave us fully immersive virtual reality in the 90s, in our era of dial-up internet and long distance calling cards?
So let's go back to the past and see how the decisions of a few misguided men set humanity on a collision course with extinction, and how every step of the way, they all thought they were doing the right thing.
Meet the Characters
Kenneth Barnes
Inventor of the Guardian Angel biochip. Reluctant architect of the House of Nepenthe. Now trapped inside a decaying dream of his own life.
"If they move my desk one more time, I'm going to burn the network down."
Patrick Quinn
Chief architect of VNet. Kenneth’s oldest friend. Willing to break laws—and himself—if it means bringing Ken back.
"Bros before globally distributed virtual reality networks."
Lee Gardner
Disgraced FBI agent. Synth addict. A man with a badge, a gun, and just enough conscience left to sell it to the highest bidder.
"I’m only here because someone called in a favor. And because I was stupid enough to say yes."
Raylene Jackson
Member of the John Marshall High School Computer Club. Desperate to make her mark on a digital world that doesn't know she exists–yet.
"Everyone wants to be a hacker, until it's time to do hacker shit."
Delia Snow
Ken’s ex-wife. A woman navigating the blurry boundary between grief, guilt, and starting over.
“He's not my husband.”
Deputy Shane Nichols
Local law enforcement. Local complication.
"Supper's waitin' at home, and I gotta get to it."
Trivia
- Originally developed as a short story
- Referenced in Brigham Plaza as a way for Anela Zabora to reach her sister Kaili.
- The longest Vinestead Anthology novel by far
Content
Media
Exclusive Preview (Subscribers Only)
If you missed the email-only previews of the first four chapters of House of Nepenthe, don't worry... I've got you covered. While it's hard to choose one chapter from the book to represent its unique blending of cyberpunk, science fiction, and crime thriller, I do like this particular chapter a lot. At a certain point in a story, things just get... weird, man. Gonzo, even. I like that term as it applies to specific sections of a story where literally anything can happen. As they say... we're through the looking glass, people.
Disclaimer: The content, spelling, grammar, and general bleh of the text below is subject to change in the final published book.