One Level Down
One Level Down
One Level Down
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Description
Description
Trapped in a child's body, a resourceful woman risks death by deletion from a simulated world. With her debut novella for adults, Mary G. Thompson (Wuftoom) has crafted a taut, ultimately hopeful story that deftly explores identity and autonomy. "A perfectly executed gem of a book. Deeply satisfying and completely mesmerizing, it's full of depth, heart, and thought."
--Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop Ella is the oldest five-year-old in the universe. For fifty-eight years, the founder of a simulated colony-planet has forced her to pretend to be his daughter. Her "Daddy" has absolute power over all elements of reality, which keeps the colonists in line even when their needs are not met. But his failing experiments and despotic need for absolute control are increasingly dangerous. Ella's very life depends on her performance as a child. She has watched Daddy delete her stepmother and the loved ones of anyone who helps her. But every sixty years, a Technician comes from the world above. Ella has been watching and working and biding her time. Because if she cannot get help, her only solution is a desperate measure that could lead to consequences for the entire universe.
--Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop Ella is the oldest five-year-old in the universe. For fifty-eight years, the founder of a simulated colony-planet has forced her to pretend to be his daughter. Her "Daddy" has absolute power over all elements of reality, which keeps the colonists in line even when their needs are not met. But his failing experiments and despotic need for absolute control are increasingly dangerous. Ella's very life depends on her performance as a child. She has watched Daddy delete her stepmother and the loved ones of anyone who helps her. But every sixty years, a Technician comes from the world above. Ella has been watching and working and biding her time. Because if she cannot get help, her only solution is a desperate measure that could lead to consequences for the entire universe.
About the Author
About the Author
Mary G. Thompson is the author of science fiction, fantasy, and thrillers for children and young adult readers. Her contemporary thriller Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee was a winner of the Westchester Fiction Award and a finalist for the Missouri Gateway Award. Thompson's short fiction has appeared in Dark Matter Magazine, Apex Magazine, and others. She attended the University of Oregon School of Law, practiced law for seven years and now works as a law librarian. She also holds an MFA in Writing from The New School and completed the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television's professional program in Screenwriting. Thompson lives in Washington, DC. Find her on the web at http: //marygthompson.com. One Level Down is her adult fiction debut.
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
Advance Praise for One Level Down "Brilliant and beautiful. One Level Down is a perfectly executed gem of a book. Deeply satisfying and completely mesmerizing, it's full of depth, heart, and thought. A remarkable achievement."--Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop "This small gem of a novella is many things: a simulation scenario that digs deeper than the Matrix movies ever did; a stark portrayal of the unmitigated evil that is the parental impulse; a rapture-of-the-nerds drive-by." --Peter Watts, Hugo Award winning author of The Freeze Frame Revolution "A riveting existential and emotional rollercoaster, descending into the monstrous depths of patriarchy and rising into the dauntingly infinite possibilities of liberation--all while winding through the terrible cost, and moral necessity, of breaking ranks to stand against misused power." --Elly Bangs, author of Unity "Like the best episodes of Black Mirror, One Level Down will have you pondering the questions it raises long after you've turned the last page." --Diana Peterfreund, author of the Clue Mysteries and For Darkness Shows the Stars "A fascinating mix of mystery, thriller, and alternate futures. I had trouble putting it down." --Stina Leicht, author of Persephone Station "Once you start reading, it is impossible to look away from Mary Thompson's provocative story of simulations, power imbalance, and whether kindness can overcome cruelty in the end." --Carolyn Ives Gilman, author of Dark Orbit "Mary Thompson shows us what kind of perfect jail software and servers can make, and how even there an inmate can dream of, and attempt, escape." --Jack Campbell, author of The Lost Fleet and In Our Stars "The world of Mary G. Thompson's novella One Level Down is beautiful on the surface, and scary the rest of the way down.... a captivating read." --David Ebenbach, author of How to Mars "Death by deletion is the ultimate horror in this riveting novella about life in a simulation." --James Patrick Kelly, author of Burn and winner of the Hugo, Nebula and Locus Awards
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
Publisher:
Tachyon Publications
Pub date:
2025-04-01
Length:
196 pages
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