88 Names

Matt Ruff is the author of Lovecraft Country and its sequel, The Destroyer of Worlds, as well as 88 Names, Bad Monkeys, The Mirage, Set This House in Order, Fool on the Hill, and Sewer, Gas & Electric: The Public Works Trilogy. He lives in Seattle, Washington.

"Ruff's newest technothriller is an exciting page-turner that delves into the online gaming world and should appeal to both veterans and newbies." - Library Journal

"Ruff remains on a winning streak with this seamless genre hybrid." - Publishers Weekly

"Following in the footsteps of Ernie Cline, who hit the geek gold mine with Ready Player One, Ruff takes his shot at a near-future gaming world. . . . Gamers for life who can pry themselves off the controller will certainly dig this digital-era whodunit." - Kirkus Reviews

"Ruff's fast-flowing, fascinating narrative is full of amusing topical and pop culture referents without being overburdened by allusiveness. His witty, often snarky dialogue crackles, and every aspect of the gaming experience is sharply rendered and explicated. . . . Any novel that can . . . appeal to gamers and literary fans alike is a treasure greater than the loot in a cyber-dragon's cave." - Washington Post

"Matt Ruff is one of science fiction and fantasy's most consistently brilliant and innovative authors . . . . [88 Names] moves seamlessly through a series of beautifully rendered, imaginative virtual worlds, and a physical world that is recognizably our own future, while still being madcap in that unmistakably mattruffian way - boingboing.com

"Employing a diverse cast of characters and weaving historical facts with an abundance of pop culture references, Ruff's richly imagined world of next-generation internet is plausible and a bit frightening. The action inside the virtual gaming world is sleek and exciting, but the extrapolation of identity, friendship, and human relationships makes the narrative shine." - Booklist (starred review)