Looking for books where the plot is about a game

[Chackan]

For example like Ready Player 1, where the characters play an immersive MMORPG that serves as the main plot for the book.

Also read Dragon Tamers (E.Maree), Epic and some more.

I know that normally these kind of books don't have the most amazing quality, but I find them entertaining enough!

Edit: Books about the lore/universe of specific games are also valid! Example: the Guild Wars novels and the Elder Scrolls novels (read all)

 

[Teriyaki Blues]

Otherland series by Tad Williams and Reamde by Neal Stephenson spring to mind. I don't read books like that very often.

 

[StephenNotStrange]

You should take a look at Korea's light novel or China's web novel. They have a lot of that kind of books.

 

[EVIL]

From the writer of Ready player 1 there is also Armada.

 

[HalStep]

i haven't read any so don't know if they qualify but there are some assassins creed novels.

 

[Aexact]

Otherland series by Tad Williams and Reamde by Neal Stephenson spring to mind. I don't read books like that very often.

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Oh snap, that was the one I was thinking about. Though I forget how gamey, as I recall it's one of those virtual worlds like Second Life. The conflict has a lot to do with the disparity between the characters in real life and their virtual avatars though.

 

[jon bones]

if you like Ready Player One, you will love Snow Crash

it's the OG cyberpunk mmo book and blows rpo out of the water

 

[_zoipi]

LARPing counts?

if then, i read out of curiosity El Diablo en el Juego de rol. It's in spanish from a catalan author, so.. .Good luck finding a possibly english copy? It's about teenargers entering in a weird LARP about the tarot.

 

[ToddBonzalez]

Wolf in White Van is a good one about a famous and reclusive, yet disfigured tabletop game master who directs his players via back and forth mail communication.

 

[Seneset]

There is an entire genre on amazon called LitRPG, it's filled with people playing VR MMOs. Finding your diamond in the rough might be a bit hard though.

 

[Nostremitus]

There are several good StarCraft books.

 

[Oliver James]

Wyrm by Mark Fabi, but it is probably hard to find now. Also, how about isekais? The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor and Log Horizon come to mind.

 

[Unicorn]

Wolf in White Van is a good one about a famous and reclusive, yet disfigured tabletop game master who directs his players via back and forth mail communication.

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From John of The Mountain Goats. Recommend!

 

[Rotobit]

The Dragon Age in-universe books are pretty good, the ones that are set after DA2 and before DA:I are great and required reading IMO- Asunder features more Wynne and Shale, and provides Cole's entire backstory. The Masked Empire also sets up all the Orlais stuff from Inquisition in a satisfying way.

I know there are a lot of light novels that focus on isekai "oh no I've fallen into an MMORPG world" shenanigans, but no idea how many of those are actually good

 

[WhiteNovember]

Can't remember the details, but it's similar to Ready Player one, but darker and without all thenpopcultural references.

 

[Chackan]

More recommendations that I was expecting!

Maybe I will start with that Snow Crash one.

 

[ryseing]

You by Austin Grossman. The main character was friends in high school with a group of people that would go on to be famous game developers, and after initially taking a different career path he joins the company when one of them dies and another leaves. Follows the development of an Elder Scrolls like game, and the game starts to bleed over into his reality.

Great novel.

 

[WestEgg]

I like a series that begins with a book called NPCs, By Drew Hayes, though the the first book is kind of weak compared to the later ones. Basically a DnD party wipes in a tavern, and the story continues on from the perspective of the other NPCs in the tavern.

 

[Thorrgal]

More recommendations that I was expecting!

Maybe I will start with that Snow Crash one.

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Snow Crash is really good.

The Dragonlance novels are actually adaptations of the Dragonlance AD&D modules from back in the 80's, which is actually an amazing campaign (I played it back in the day).

Then there's of course Ender's Game.

And I guess the Hunger Games count?

Then there's the Gotrek and Felix ones, from the Warhammer Fantasy RPG, and the Drizzt ones, from the AD&D Forgotten Realms setting...

Two series that are really really great and are somehow related would be Kings of the Wyld (inspired by tabletop rpgs and videogames, as per the author.Also by classic rock bands) and Red Rising (distant connection to the Hunger Games, but better. And not YA).

Abercrombie is also a great author that takes inspiration from games, although not as much as Eames (KotW author). He's a fan favourite as well

Actually I would just recommend you these last three, and forget the others (I read most of them lol, even the World of Warcraft ones. Terrible ;P)

 

[jon bones]

More recommendations that I was expecting!

Maybe I will start with that Snow Crash one.

Click to shrink...

You won't be disappointed. It moves at a breakneck speed and is a real page-turner.

 

[Unaha-Closp]

Player of Games by Iain M Banks. Not a video game but a game played by an Empire to assign Governmental Roles. It's a Culture novel but it is about a game.