WASHINGTON, July 30, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Imagine a technology that allows you go anywhere you want to go, do anything you want to do, and be whoever you want to be -- and it's all absolutely real. Or is it? This is the paradox at the heart of Virtual Death, a thrilling new novel from first time Virginia-based author, Morgan R. Bramlet.
The tale begins when a powerful international software company, Io Corporation, develops the ultimate virtual experience technology and is on the verge of creating the world's first multi-trillion-dollar industry as a result. Just days before it's to be unveiled to the world, people from Io's test subject group begin mysteriously dying. The police captain in charge of the case, Dan Garrity, has been ordered by his superiors to keep the murders quiet and out of the press. Virgil Colton, a retired homicide detective and former serial hunter, is brought in to catch the killer before the technology launches and millions of people are in danger. The story continues with riveting experiences that keep the reader on the edge of his seat as Virgil must track down the serial killer through cyber space.
"There are scores of stories that use VR technology but, first and foremost, I wanted to tell a great detective story that's also infused with a real sense of how a virtual technology would work. So Virtual Death is about cutting edge technology merged with old style detectives, like Virgil, who track killers with single-minded perseverance no matter where the hunt leads or what the cost," noted the book's author, Morgan Bramlet.
Also according to the author, one of the challenges of writing the novel was staying on the technological leading edge because technology changes so rapidly. Noted Bramlet, "While I don't set the story in a specific time period, it's supposed to take place a few years from now, maybe ten or fifteen years ahead, because I wanted it to be in our lifetime."
Set primarily in San Francisco, the novel incorporates a host of exotic and period virtual locales including realistic depictions of the Jurassic period, medieval England, 1940s Los Angeles, World War II Europe and even the lost city of Atlantis. However, even with the surreal elements interwoven throughout the storyline, the novel never loses sight of the corporate intrigue and personal demons that drive the actions of its colorful yet extremely human characters.
"Although most people would automatically assume this to be a sci-fi novel because of its cool and scientifically-plausible technology, in the end, Virtual Death is more a cautionary tale that poses the question of 'what would any of us do if given the chance to play God?'," Bramlet concluded.
To read an excerpt from Virtual Death, go to www.virtualdeathnovel.com. For more information visit www.Xlibris.com.
About the Author
Morgan R. Bramlet is a marketing and branding executive who has specialized in the high tech, biotech, software and telecommunications industries. He has worked with some of the largest technology companies in the world and enjoys film making, photography, art and physical fitness. He is currently working on his second novel. Mr. Bramlet lives in McLean, Virginia with his wife and kids.
Virtual Death * by Morgan R. Bramlet
Publication Date: July 28, 2009
Trade Paperback; $23.99; 426 pages; 978-1-4363-8450-6
Cloth Hardback; $34.99; 426 pages; 978-1-4363-8451-3
To request a complimentary paperback review copy, contact the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7479. Tear sheets may be sent by regular or electronic mail to Marketing Services. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (610) 915-0294 or call (888) 795-4274 x. 7876.
For more information, contact Xlibris at (888) 795-4274 or on the web at www.Xlibris.com.