A book by
Jeff Noon set in his
Vurt universe. Like
Automated Alice, it is set somewhat before
Pollen and
Vurt. Stylistically, it is a bit more like
Pollen than
Vurt in that it lacks that kind of
intense and
trippy feeling behind it. On a purely technical level, it is perhaps
Noon's most advanced book.
Set in the late 90's, it details the attempts of a band of math students to prevent an evil corporation's lottery-like gambling game (which, amusingly, takes the form of dominoes) from wreaking havok. The corporation's game reminded me a bit of the
Borges short story "
The Lottery in Babylon."
The book contains some amusing references and explanations relevant to the rest of the
Vurt world, including the genesis of
Vaz,
Hobart, and some other stuff.