Virtual Mode

Mode Series, Book 1

By: Piers Anthony

Narrated by: Mark Winston

Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's Summary

Colene does not know what to think of the stranger she has rescued. Darius tells her he has traveled from "his reality" to find her. In proving to Colene that other worlds do exist, he uses up the power of the artifact that would allow them to travel back to his universe.

They must try a slower, more dangerous method: the creation of a four-dimensional universe. Darius picks five anchor points in five different universes to set up a skew path, a "virtual mode," on which the anchors can walk.

Thus begins a tale of romance, danger, adventure, and intrigue as the two travel through a myriad of alternate realities where anything is possible.

Anthony à la Mode: listen to Book 2 and Book 3 in this series.

©2008 Piers Anthony (P)2008 Brilliance Audio

Critic Reviews

"Fresh, imaginative." ( Publishers Weekly)

Love the Author, Hate the Narrator

Would you consider the audio edition of Virtual Mode to be better than the print version?

Not at all.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Any additional comments?

I'm very sorry to say that this is the wrong narrator for this book. First of all, the protagonist is a 14 year old girl. Yes, there is POV from other characters (a 20 something male, a 60 something woman, a telepathic horse (so obviously a deep male tone)), but Colene the hero! I was a teenager when I first read it and listening to it again brings me back. However, I keep getting jarred out of the story with problems like mispronouncing macabre (it's mah-cah-b), making Colene's voice too snotty, saying "home in on" instead of "hoan in on". Now, that last one may be in the publication incorrectly, and I'll have to check, but come on, it's Piers Anthony! He's been writing FOREVER! He's got talented editors and rarely makes mistakes like that, especially when the rest of the book is so much more intelligent than that.

All in all, I prefer to read this with my own versions of the characters voices, but it is nice to sit back, close my eyes, and go back in time to an angst-riddled time and imagine, once again, traveling through the modes with Colene, Darius, Seqiro and Burgess. I learned a new appreciation for complex theory in the mandelbrot set and rode horses more. I will always hold this story dear to myheart. Thank you Piers!

Another imaginative series begins

Anthony seems to.have an infinite
capacity to create whole new universes.
Expect the original tale to.have only internal consistency.

Yawn!

Boy, I read the whole Incarnations of Immortality series and loved it! What rich writing! I expected more of the same from this series but could not even get through Part 1. It just ho-hummed along. The narration was flat, the story was flat. Flat, flat, flat. Narration was like listening to the reading of an instructional manual.

not one of Piers Anthonys best but not to bad

you cant go wrong with Piers Anthony.
i have everything by Piers Anthony from here and love them all.
tho i do like this one it may not be for everyone.
try the first book and if you like it then your ok for the rest of the Series.

Incomplete but Good

There is lots of physics and plains theory in the book, but it has a good story line and characters. ** Be warned that this book is incomplete and you will need to get the other Mode books to get the entire story. There are also discussions of sex with under aged girls, rape, and suicide so be warned (All the same things teens experience so it should come to no shock to many).** Piers Anthony writes good stories that tie in very well if you like long epic or characters popping in and out so this is a good book.

Typical Piers, from a suicidal character view

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I enjoyed this book, and consider it time well spent considering I listened during my long commute. Still this isn't the best story that Piers Anthony has ever brought to me.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Hard to say, I guess if it was longer. It ended very quickly.

Could you see Virtual Mode being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

There have been other shows that dabble in virtual realities (Sliders/Quantum Leap,etc ..) If this were to ever go on TV, it would probably make a good mini series. Not sure who the stars of that series could be.

Any additional comments?

Some things are TOO convenient in this book. You will ask yourself certain questions and they are answered in a typical Piers Anthony type fashion. "How did you know that?" .. "oh ... well I can read your mind."

Fair Introduction - Good Series

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend the series, but the introduction is very weak and takes way too long to introduce the characters. About the time the plot is developed to a point the book gets really interesting, it ends. It was a good way to sell the second book. :"))

What was most disappointing about Piers Anthony’s story?

Good Narration

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes, the series would make a great franchise.

Good Story Line - lacked Anthony's normal humor

What made the experience of listening to Virtual Mode the most enjoyable?

Storyline

What other book might you compare Virtual Mode to and why?

Bearing An Hourglass - timeline ran backwards for one of the characters.

Which character – as performed by Mark Winston – was your favorite?

Darius

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Colene wins the day

Any additional comments?

The Character building was lacking somewhat compared to some of his other work. I have read many of Pears books more than a few times. I would not read this one a second time. However, I will read the next one in the series. Pears Anthony is one of my top favorite authors so I say all of this with great respect.

The story line to this book is very good. Many of Pears books are rocky at first because he has to construct a fantasy world from scratch. The Pale Rider was hilarious from the first few chapters in. However, Bio of a tyrant was a rough series but well worth the time and effort. In fact Bio of a tyrant started out on a down note and went more depressing from there. Great series, but had to keep at it at times.

Story excellent but much too perverted.

I would have given the story 5 stars - it is imaginative and makes you think - especially the last couple chapters.

However, the main character is 14, yet there are strong sexual themes surrounding her. I found this very disturbing. Also, sex or the female body was brought up every 5 minutes it seemed! Yet.. I have yet to figure out what the main male character even looks like. I don't think he was ever fully described.

I *highly* discourage this to young readers.

Also, the main female lead is definitely "emo" at the beginning. She doesn't stay that way, thankfully.

All that said... I am still going to get the sequel.

Prefect blend of Sci-fi, Fantasy and Love

Piers Anthony really out does himself with this book, a first of four. We have here a tale of love and loss what it takes to survive, as we journey our young lovers take across different dimesons and realms we are shown to many worlds of both a science and fantasy base.

The book is very much grounded in emotional reality while taking these two lovers on a wonderful adventure that will help them come to terms with their inner demons.

Mark Winston does a great job, his reading is clear and his voices very nice, only wish he had done all four books.

Computer Narrated?

While the story is engaging and well put together the narrative on this is terrible. It sounds as if it was auto-narrated by computer simulated voice. So much so that i could only stomach about 40 mins before I had to turn it off for good. Not up to his novel's usual standards. I purchased this book after listening to all of his incarnations series (which were superbly narrated), and only feel let down by this. I wish I could get my credit back!