Book picks similar to
Resurgence by Joshua W. Nelson


litrpg
fantasy
dropped
virtual-reality

The Digital Frontier


Alex Mulder - 2015
     Now the fate of an entire world rests on his shoulders. MMORPGs had stopped being a part of Luke’s life years ago. That is, until he tried Yvvaros, an online sandbox role playing game only accessible through the latest in virtual reality technology. The game sucked him in almost instantly. Luke discovered a world with new stakes, rewards, and philosophical complexities deeper than anything he could have expected. The human experience exists on a spectrum. One person’s reality may be fantasy or even hallucination to someone else. One person’s sense of what’s important is even more subjective. As Luke quickly learned, it was hard to justify living in a world of rejection over a world of adventure, excitement, and connection. He began a new life in Yvvaros, just as vivid and maybe even more compelling than his existence in the outside world. Earth has already been explored, and the next frontier is closer to home than anyone could have imagined.

Unwritten Rules


Adam Horne - 2017
    Unable to support himself and dependent on others to meet his needs, Kevin was slipping into depression when his best friend convinced him to play a new game called Genesis Online. The concept was simple: a revolutionary artificial intelligence controlled the game world and adapted it to the actions of the players. Even the developers didn't know what course the game could take as it evolved. Lured into the game by the prospect of earning real money, Kevin soon runs afoul of a man determined to control as much of Genesis as possible. He recruits other disenfranchised players to his side in his quest to find a way to prosper in the game. Can they stop the man who calls himself the king of Genesis from taking over everything?

Spinward (Artificial Dream State #1)


I.M. Waugh - 2016
    Fight, build, explore and conquer to make your mark on the galaxy. Launching March 2036 Only available on Dream Box Snow Storm were being uncharacteristically quiet about their new product, only releasing concepts, hints and grandiose claims about it, all that was known is it set in Outer Space, it is skill based and it’s the most immersive game ever created. Opinion was divided, is it vapour-ware, is it over-hyped, is it under-hyped, will it fail to deliver, will it be the best game ever created or will it be the worst game in history. Anticipation was at an all-time high, the streams, boards, vlogs and pages where all buzzing with excitement. All Su knew is that she really really wanted to play it.

The Eternal: Awakening


Dhayaa Anbajagane - 2017
    I didn’t mean to look for things I wasn’t supposed to. I didn’t mean for death to come after me. I really didn’t. But it still happened. I’m Zoran and my name is the only thing I remember about myself; not why I woke up in a forest, not why I taste blood in my mouth, and certainly not why I see weird screens in front of me. Ever since I first woke, all I wanted to do was find out who I really was. But what I didn’t expect, was for my search to spark something that was never meant to happen. It has started now. I can see it. Cities will burn and towers will fall. Chaos will descend the heavens and ravage the earth. The darkness is coming, and the world will tremble in its wake.

Dragon Web Online: Inception


S.R. Witt - 2016
    Play games, get rich. It seemed like the perfect way to make the cash my family needed to keep us off the streets. It seemed too good to be true.It was.I made a terrible mistake and stumbled into the truth behind the world’s most popular Virtual Reality game. Now I’m marked for death and the most powerful people in the world want to hang their crimes around my neck.They call me a thief. A murderer. The killer of worlds.The people who know the truth call me the Saint of Shadows.I didn’t set out to destroy the world, but somebody had to do it.Somebody had to set you free. Dragon Web Online: Inception kicks off the Electric Shadows LitRPG Adventure series. Meet the Saint of Shadows as he begins his journey into a virtual reality that threatens to consume the world as we know it.

Ripcord Online Book 1


Brian Simons - 2017
    I was ready for the uplink. There was just one thing I had to do first. I had to die. Ripcord was a revolutionary new product that launched people into a virtual reality world just moments before death, sparing them their painful end-of-life memories and allowing them to live in a video game utopia for all time. At least, that’s how it was advertised. No one ever came back to say whether Ripcord lived up to its promise. It was a one-way ticket for those lucky enough to get in. Well, maybe “lucky” isn’t the right word for it. My wife had been in Ripcord for two years. I was finally ready to go find her. When I got there though, it was nothing like I had expected and she was nowhere to be found. Oh, and did I mention something is killing everyone off? “Griefing” players that were already grieving. If I ever wanted to see my wife again, I’d have to get a lot stronger, learn how to level up in this strange new world, and hope she found a way to survive this long…

Enigmatic Village of Nanahuatl


John Nest - 2014
    He works as an assistant to the cook in a small diner, he is shadily hired as a construction worker, and works as an attendant at a game arcade. Nash needs to take on those jobs in order to support his two brothers and sickly Grandma. Ever since the tragic accident of his parent’s death. He took it upon himself to support his family. After being worked to the bone, Nash found that sacred place, his paradise of relief, the Virtual Reality World of Zectas. However, his only sanctuary was destroyed when a group of high level players used him as bait in one of their quests. Nash was captured and tortured by the Legendary Monster! Little did they know that this incident would cause the birth of the Legendary User Smoke!

The Trapped Mind Project


Michael Chatfield - 2017
    What Dave doesn’t know is that Earth as he knows it, is really a virtual reality simulation and Emerilia is a world imbued with futuristic technologies to mimic early MMORPG’s. He just wanted peace and quiet, to build a house, do some fishing, to take some time to find himself once again. What he found out instead was a cause, he found out the biggest lie of his life. He found out the truth about Emerilia and the lies of Earth. What's the best way to control slaves? Make them think that they're free.

The Way of the Clan Book 1


Dem Mikhaylov - 2015
    A world where anyone can achieve their greatest dream, and become who they wish – a successful trader, a wise anchorite, a brave warrior or a battle mage who can control disastrous elemental powers. But don’t expect that the path to your dream will be simple! The path to the top is long, if ever you can reach it.

One in the Gut


Matthew Siege - 2017
    Unfortunately, unless you can buy your way on to the Survivor's side, you can only participate as a Zombie. Every week the Apocalypse starts over, and every week the forces gather once more to tear each other down to the bone. Ryan's played the Beta for months, but now that his favorite game has launched, he finds it consuming his life, even as he struggles to decipher whether or not there's actually a way to succeed if you're not willing to Pay to Win. But he’s got bigger problems to deal with. There’s something sinister going on beneath the surface of Headshot, and it looks like he’s wrapped up in it whether he likes it or not.

Quantum Shift


Kyle Johnson - 2020
    Any humans who survive this process will receive more information on these changes. Expected Survival Rate: 1 – 5% Phase Shift begins in 3…2…1...Commence Phase Shift!Troias Drakos awakens to find that the world he knew is gone, and a new reality has risen to take its place. Most of Earth's life was killed in a single instant, and those that survived have been granted powers and abilities that seem almost magical. Unfortunately, this world is filled with terrors and monsters that are equally powerful...or far more so. Only by uniting and learning to use their new abilities will humanity survive.Troias has been given a unique set of powers, and if he is to have any chance to survive, he must learn to master these and become a true Spirit Warrior. Will even his great abilities be enough to survive the Quantum Shift?

Patch 17


G. Akella - 2015
    With Patch 17, the level of immersion experienced by players in their gaming capsules has made virtual reality indistinguishable from the real world. But every gamer's dream becomes a nightmare for Roman Kozhevnikov after he gets confined to Arkon against his will. And not just to Arkon, but to its deadliest zone--Demon Grounds. Playing, or rather living as his character Krian, it's not just about survival for Roman. He longs to exact revenge for his banishment to the virtual world where the sensation of pain has reached one hundred percent...

Tales of the Gemsmith - Green


Jared Mandani - 2018
    Fresh out of College, he managed to open his shop to sell his creations and get a toehold in the business. But like most people who start out in life, the beginnings were rough and he had to struggle. Still, he wouldn’t want it any other way. One evening, while he’s busy in his workshop, three men in balaclavas break in and he’s violently assaulted. That burglary will leave him crippled and traumatized. And after weeks of rehabilitation, he will finally have to accept that he’ll never again be able to use his fingers with enough dexterity to pursue this meticulous occupation. Dean is devastated. What will he do with himself now? In the unit where he’s treated, a glimmer of hope will emerge when he’ll be introduced to a virtual world that erases your limitations and where no dream is big or wild enough. He will join Aldaron as a Mage Artificer and he will soon discover that, by drawing from his real life skills, he can progress through the levels much faster. Going from one adventure to the other, Mage Winters will meet legendary players and formidable foes. But right when he thinks he’s found a new purpose, he will learn of the ominous danger that threatens everything he’s come to cherish, and that his peculiar skills might be the only hope to save them all. This is Dean’s story. These are the Tales of the Gemsmith.

Black Wolf


Mitchell T. Jacobs - 2014
    Explore a vast open world and shape it how you wish. From a soldier on the front lines, to a master strategist at the rear, to a crafter making ammunition to feed the insatiable hunger of battle, all will have a part to play. Band together with other players to conquer regions and create virtual empires of your own. But beware: others may have the same designs as you, and they may not be eager to share...World at War is the most ambitious virtual world game in history. Virtual reality games have existed for years, but this will be the first with a true virtual world. Financial commentators have called it an insane risk. Scientists have hailed it as the beginning of a new technological revolution. To gamers, it was one thing: amazing. For three long years, they have waited with anticipation for its release, and now the new world is upon them. But a new frontier comes with many unknowns, and players will need to learn how to survive in the game's harsh virtual world. And what influence is the game having on their real world selves?Zach Wofford was a beta player, and knows first-hand what an amazing experience World at War will be. Together, with just a small band of his friends, he will make something great in the virtual world, or go down fighting in the attempt. But he knows that just a few players will never do; they will need a bigger group to survive the myriad of enemies hoping to pick their bones. A lone wolf will be overwhelmed by sheer numbers, but a pack, that's something to be feared.Join the members of Black Wolf Company as they experience the early days of World at War. Battles will be fought, friendships will be formed, trust will be broken. Their lives in two worlds will be changed forever. But through all this, one question will still remain.In a World at War...What's your battle?

Rebirth Online


Michael James Ploof - 2018
    Unable to afford the state of the art surgery needed to repair his spinal cord, Sam has lost all hope. But when the first fully immersive virtual reality game goes live, Sam is given a second chance at life. Rebirth Online offers players action, adventure, and a chance at real world riches. If Sam can rise through the ranks and claim his kingdom, he just might be able to earn enough money to afford the surgery he so badly needs. Sam enters Rebirth Online excited to begin his adventure, but within fifteen minutes of spawning in the game, he is robbed, beaten, and left for dead. He wakes to find himself in the care of Anna, a beautiful elf healer. Together they discover that he has an unbelievable special ability, one that allows him to instantly level. To use it, he must grind - literally - with the girls in his guild. The only problem - A twelve hour cool down. As Sam’s guild grows, he and Anna are joined by a beautiful human warrior, a feisty drow assassin, and a flighty female Furry. But when a run-in with a high level player named Kincaid ends with Anna’s kidnapping, Sam and his girls must pull all the punches to get their guild mate back. In the process, they uncover a secret with the potential to bring the entire game crashing down. ***Content Warning*** Rebirth Online is a litRPG Harem fantasy adventure with adult themes. Not intended for children.