That's the premise of one of my favorite, underrated SciFi books, Everyone in Silico[0]. It's also part of the premise of Ready Player One[1].

[0] https://www.amazon.com/Everyone-Silico-Jim-Munroe-2002-11-22...

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/0307...

So it begins. https://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/0307...

Here are a couple of additional things to read if you liked those: * Jordan Mechner - of Prince of Persia / Karateka [1] * Ready Player One - fiction - but in the same vein [2]

[1] Jordan's website w general links: http://www.jordanmechner.com/

The Making of Karateka - 1982- 1985 : http://www.amazon.com/Making-Karateka-Journals-1982-1985/dp/...

The Making of Prince of Persia - Journals 1985-1993: http://www.amazon.com/Making-Prince-Persia-Journals-1985/dp/...

[2] Ready Player One - http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/03078...

Awesome book - The Postmortal - http://www.amazon.com/The-Postmortal-Drew-Magary/dp/01431198...

See also Ready Player One. http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-A-Novel/dp/0307887448

Obligatory:

http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-A-Novel/dp/0307887448

Avoid spoilers, just read the book!

Sadly I don't really read quite as much as I used to; but following are the books I read this year (though none of them were released this year).

- Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days

http://www.amazon.com/Founders-Work-Stories-Startups-Problem...

Excellent book covering interviews with founders of companies that became really big. I thought this book was really insightful and inspirational.

- Coders at Work: Reflections on the Craft of Programming

http://www.amazon.com/Coders-Work-Reflections-Craft-Programm...

I just started this book, but already like it - the format is the same as the Founders at Work book but on the developer side of things.

- World Changers: 25 Entrepreneurs Who Changed Business as We Knew It

http://www.amazon.com/World-Changers-Entrepreneurs-Changed-B...

It was a good book, but not as inspirational as the Founders at Work book. Some of the stories are good, but since the majority of the people are not in my sector, the book just wasn't as interesting to me.

- Ready Player One

http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/03078...

An excellent story that really made me nostalgic to my younger years - definitely recommend this one.

- The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death: A Novel

http://www.amazon.com/Mystic-Arts-Erasing-Signs-Death/dp/034...

I have a weak spot for Charlie Huston books - he's not the best author (sorry Charlie), but his books are really easy to approach. This is one of his best ones and is about crime scene cleaners - a nice departure from all the Joe Pitt vampire novels.

- World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

http://www.amazon.com/World-War-Oral-History-Zombie/dp/03073...

It's OK... I read it half way through and then once I got busy I just couldn't get myself to pick it up again. I will finish it eventually.. just not yet.

- Hyperion

http://www.amazon.com/Hyperion-Dan-Simmons/dp/0553283685

A friend recommended this book to me - I could not get past the first chapter.