Welcome friend! Today I bring you the review of a science fiction novella, to be released tomorrow. I enjoyed One Level Down by Mary G. Thompson and pondered new aspects of virtual reality through it. Take a look at the synopsis below followed by my review.
Mary G. Thompson | Goodreads
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.
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 make the technician help her, the only solution is a desperate measure that could lead to consequences for the entire universe.
One Level Down – Review
One Level Down by Mary G. Thompson is a thought-provoking science fiction about simulated universes through the eyes of an element, a girl named Ella, who was created within one of them. Ella has been trapped in a five year old’s body for fifty-eight years. Her father, referred to as ‘Daddy’ throughout the book, designed her in the image of his real daughter who died at that age and does not want her to grow older. When she questions him or acts out of character for a 5 year old, she is punished. In a universe where everyone else seems to enjoy freedom from aging and disease, she is trapped.
In less than 200 pages, One Level Down presents rich world building that sucked me in. I felt for Ella and the act that she has to put up. She thinks fondly of her step mom, Samantha, who stood up against Daddy and called him out for the life he had sentenced Ella to. But Daddy is a very powerful being in this universe. In his contract with the company that built their simulated universe, he gave himself control over all human beings in the system. Thus, he can create elements like Ella and also delete people like Samantha.
There have been others who have tried to help Ella in their unique ways. Her teachers do not want her to be intellectually stuck as a 5 year old too. But that has come at a cost. Daddy has exercised his powers and taken away people they love to punish them for helping Ella. As a result, Ella feels isolated and no longer involves people in her plans should harm come to them. Every sixty years, a Technician from the real world comes to check up on the universe. Ella wants to take a chance to convince someone who is not affected by Daddy and get the Technician to free her from her existence.
One Level Down is an interesting story about a woman fighting for her freedom and what she does with it when she finally succeeds in getting it. It is also the story of people of her simulated universe who finally rise up against Daddy and the imbalance of power he exercises as the founder.
The story speculates on a world where simulated universes are possible and the technology that allows for them by bending the laws of physics. Mary G. Thompson sets the stage for questions like would the ability to create a simulated universe mean we are in one too? What kind of beliefs would people develop if they lived in a universe that had simulated universes? What kind of universes would people want to live in if they had the choice?
I would love to read more about Technicians and the Academy. I hope Mary returns to these worlds.
Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy of this book. Stay tuned for an interview with the author in the next post.
Add One Level Down to your Goodreads TBR. It will be released tomorrow.
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