Recently, my partner has been getting into a game called Player Unknown: Battlegrounds also lovingly referred to as PUBG. How the game works is that you fly out of a plane at the start of the game and drop onto an island with 99 other players. The objective is to be the last player standing, which requires strategical planning, clever execution, and strong survival skills. This has also inspired other games like Fortnite (although fans of the game will argue otherwise) and created a new genre of video games called “Battle Royale.”
But if you weren’t aware, the genre is based off a book with the same premise and I wanted to share that book as well as some other nerdy video game reads you might want to check out if your offline life is looking for some online books.
Warcross by Marie Lu
Female gamers will get to see themselves represented as highly skilled bounty hunter Emika, who finds illegal gamblers in video games, in this futuristic story. In the midst of her work, she accidentally hacks into the biggest video game championship in the world hosted by the most successful creator, Hideo Tanaka. However, things take a turn for the worse when someone tries to take out Hideo, and Emika is right on their trail.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
The book that speaks to the video game nerd in us all. Ready Player One takes place in the future where everyone logs onto a world called The Oasis. When the creator of the game dies, he leaves behind several clues leading to his will and power over The Oasis. As you can imagine, everyone is out for this prestigious prize, but no one has been able to crack the first clue that is until Wade Watts figures it out first.
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
If you’re a fan of high fantasy, then you might be interested in The Witcher Saga by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. It’s the book that inspired the video game and the upcoming Netflix series. It’s the story of a “witcher” named Geralt who uses his supernatural abilities to fight deadly monsters. If anything read this one and then start the new Witcher 3 game.
Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
The book that inspired the genre, Battle Royale is exactly how the premise of these games work but with a darker slant. The story follows a group of Japanese school children who are left on an island alone. The only way off the island is to be the last person standing. Of course, there are the jocks who try to use their strength to win and the smart kids who use their intelligence. The best part is finding out who wins at the end of that deadly game.
In Real Life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang
While this graphic novel may look like another gamer girl story, it’s more than just that. When Anda logs on to play Coarsegold Online, she’s in her element. This is exactly where she’s met to be, but when she meets someone who uses their online abilities to illegally collect and sell valuable items in the game, Anda knows that it’s wrong and needs to figure out whether or not the rules were sometimes made to be broken.
