ANewYorkTimesBookReviewEditors’ChoiceMarryingthephilosophicalabsurditiesoflife,technology,start-upculture,andfamily,UsersisforreadersofLingMa,DaveEggers’sTheCircle,andviewersofthehitAppleTV+originalseriesSeveranceMiles,aleadcreativeatamidsizevirtualrealitycompanyknownforits“originalexperiences,“hasengineeredanewproductcalledTheGhostLover.Wildlypopularfromtheoutset,the“game“issimple:auser’ssimulatedlifeisalmostidenticaltotheirreality,exceptthey’rehauntedbytheghostofanex-lover.However,whenashiftinthecompany’sstrategicvisionputsTheGhostLoveratthecenterofaplatform-widecontroversy,Milesbecomesthetargetofuseroutrage,andstartsreceivingaseriesofanonymousdeaththreats.Typednotessealedinenvelopeswithnopostageorreturnaddress,thesepersistentthreatspushMilesintoaparanoidpanic,blurringhisownsenseofreality,catalyzingthecollapseofhiscareer,hismarriage,andhisrelationshipwithhischildren.Theonce-promisingroadtosuccessbecomesanarrowsetofchoicesforMiles,who,inalastditchefforttosavehisjob,pitcheshismasterpiece,arevolutionarydevicecode-namedtheEgg,whichwilltransformthecompany.TheconsequencesforMilessealhiminsidethewallsofhislifeaswhatwasonceanxietyexplodesintodevastatingabsoluteness.Inaworldrifewiththeuncheckedpowerandambitionoftech,Usersinvestigates--withbothhumorandcreepingdread--howinterpersonalexperiencesandprivatedecisionsinfluencethehastydevelopmentsthathavethepowertopermanentlyalterthelandscapeofhumanexperience.
