''Strange Flesh'' is a novel by author Michael Olson, published by

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...

in 2012.

Plot summary

The novel opens with a deceased programmer inside a device that has driven a hole saw through the back of her neck. We then meet the protagonist, a professional social engineer named James Pryce who works for Red Rook, a gray-hat security company. He attends a meeting at a giant media company, run by twins Blake and Blythe Randall. James watches a mysterious video in which the Randall's half-brother Billy evidently electrocutes himself, but this turns out to be a ruse. Billy has "virtualized" himself in a

virtual world A virtual world (also called a virtual space or spaces) is a Computer simulation, computer-simulated environment which may be populated by many simultaneous users who can create a personal Avatar (computing), avatar and independently explore th ...

known as "NOD" in order to communicate secretly with Blake. The twins hire James to work undercover at a gamer colony called, GAME and there James uncovers other mysteries including a number of suicides among Billy's friends, known as "the Jackanapes". It turns out that Billy has begun an ARG based in NOD at a replica of the castle from the

Marquis de Sade Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade ( ; ; 2 June 1740 – 2 December 1814) was a French writer, libertine, political activist and nobleman best known for his libertine novels and imprisonment for sex crimes, blasphemy and pornography ...

's, ''

The 120 Days of Sodom ''The 120 Days of Sodom, or the School of Libertinage'' () is an unfinished novel by the French writer and nobleman Marquis de Sade, Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade, written in 1785 and published in 1904 after its manuscript was r ...

''. Finally, James penetrates a group working on a project they hope will usher in a whole new era of sensual technology.

Characters

* James Pryce – A professional social engineer working for Red Rook security company. * Blake Randall – A former fellow-student of Pryce's and one of the inheritors of the IMP media company. * Blythe Randall – A former lover of Pryce's, Blake's twin sister, and inheritor to the IMP media company. * Billy Randall – "Transgressive" artist and half-brother of Blake and Blythe.

Major themes

The novel is set in 2015 and fits into the near-future sci-fi subgenre. The story spends time explaining technological contraptions and could be called a "techno-thriller" but its most important theme is sex, specifically virtual sex, also known as

teledildonics Teledildonics (also known as cyberdildonics) is the name coined for virtual sex encounters using Computer network, networked electronic Sex toy, sex toys to mimic and extend human sexual interaction. The term became known after technology critic an ...

Reception

Reviews to the novel have been generally positive. Publishers' Weekly calls the novel a "head-spinning literary thriller... a rabbit hole of kinky cybersex and multilevel mystery." Booklist writes that author Olson "introduces “Imminent Teledildonics,” sexbots that employ next-gen virtual reality for revelatory virtual sex. Crimes, both high and low; bleeding-edge technology; and titillation: What’s not to love?" And Kirkus Reviews describes it as "A profane, heady thriller more startling and compelling than its individual components and influences might demonstrate."

Publication details

2012, English, Simon & Schuster (), pub date April 3, 2012, hardcover

References

{{Reflist

External links

Publisher's Official Website

User reviews at Good Reads

An interview with novelist Michael Olson

Adult Review: Strange Flesh by Michael Olsen
2012 American novels Simon & Schuster books American science fiction novels 2012 science fiction novels Novels about virtual reality