The Uploaded

The Uploaded by Ferret Steinmetz pits a tech-savvy orphan against a digital afterlife. Frequent brain scans completely map the brain and transfer consciousness into a digital heaven. The Upterlife is man-made heaven where anything and everything can happen. The only catch? The living have to maintain the servers and keep heaven humming along. Not only is this digital heaven built on the back of the living, the living find themselves slaves to the dead. After his parents disappeared into the Upterlife, an orphan bucks against the status quo and threatens to bring everything crumbling down.

The Uploaded starts off with a bang and never lets up. The world-building is intense, with little time devoted to explanation, resulting in a fast-paced read that amazes and puzzles in equal measure. The technology behind the Upterlife and the dynamics between the living and the dead is fascinating and leads to a pretty hectic conclusion. Most of the characters are lackluster without clear motivations. However, the overall story blends some interesting philosophy and technology with pounding action, frenetic dialogue, and some cinematic moments for a well-written sci-fi romp.