Matt dinnimans commentary on capitalism in DDC is something to be praised and it only gets better with OBH. MC Oliver is a down to earth ears blocked main character whose anti-social nature is put into conflict once pre-teen gamers attack his planet. As the only home housing an advanced ai Rodger and robot helpers on planet the surrounding populous immigrant to his and his sister’s farm. This includes his ex-girlfriend Rosita, his best friend Sam and his pregnant wife, and other characters.
While the characters and character development is not as engaging DCC (the exception being Rodger) this book shines in its commentary on desensitization and genocide. I found myself at multiple points thinking about the parallels to viewing of Palestine or the critiques of profile changes before, during, and after George Floyd’s death. Outside of that I also believed that the depiction of Apex the game company was similar approximation to billionaire businesses like Nestle and the baby formula.
As for acting what can I say other than absolutely phenomenal performances. Bringing to life characters that you just can’t get. This on top of all the AI slop that’s been put out recently makes you just want to read books just for their acting. In a time of unprecedented attacks on the art community all three creators have made it VERY clear why Ai can never and should never replace them.