If your entire life flashed before your eyes, would you look away?
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.
🔔 Join the VIP Reader List"Every word in Daniel Verastiqui’s books is lovingly wrought from the darkest materials of the imagination—and this newest novel is no different. Continuing his exploration of genre tropes and how they can be fused onto the body of the terrifying futures in sci-fi, House of Nepenthe blends the virtual with the worlds of murder mystery, hardboiled noir, paranoid conspiracies and. . .
is that time travel?"
- Carl, big fan
Advance Reader Copies (ARCs)
Ahead of release, a small number of physical Advance Reader Copies of House of Nepenthe will be sent to early readers.
ARCs are intended for readers who plan to read the book prior to release and who are open to sharing an honest review if they finish. Copies are limited, U.S.-only, and distributed via application.
(Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Not all applicants will be selected.)
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.
"That's Vinestead for you. If they can't monetize it, they don't want it."
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."
“Welcome, 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, House of 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.
Trivia
- Originally developed as a short story
- Referenced in Brigham Plaza as a way for Anela Zabora to reach her sister Kaili.
From the Blog
- How Long is Too Long?
- The Perfect Epigraph Doesn't Exist
- Cue the Gritty Voiceover
- A Clan Without a Name