The Usurper God by Federico Granzotto

Demigods of simulated realities are forced to fight within the simulations themselves for survival in the real world.

The usurper god

A novel that questions the meaning of real life, conditioned by boredom that leads to aggression and suffering, projected into a future virtual reality. The lords of the systems, whose minds reside in colossal planetary-sized space computers, live in virtual reality simulations in order to combat the boredom of an existence spanning millions of years. However, the apparent stability of this caste of semi-divine sovereigns is wavering. The universe is now too old and is facing the inevitable thermal death. A technology would allow the lords to save themselves: the "transbrana" device that allows them to migrate to another universe. A young universe, fertile with new star systems to colonize. The demigods know that one of them is already experimenting the device and are distressed by the fear of missing their chance to escape. The galaxy is on the verge of a war for the conquest of this eschatological technology. To avoid destroying each other and losing the device, the Lords decide to hold challenges in simulated realities, under the arbitration of a supreme judge: the Supreme Guarantor. The winner will get all the spaceships and technologies. And salvation.

In a historically distorted Rome, dated 1073, one of the challenges takes place between two Lords, Yaldabaoth and Dysith. They send their agents to plagiarize the person whose creed influences the outcome of the challenge, Bishop Argos, endowed with extreme curiosity and an inextinguishable thirst for truth. In his journey he is accompanied by friends characterized by a strong personality: his brother, Count Ludovico, the merchant Demio and the weapons master Emo.

The discovery of an angel with severed wings, Mellaria, brings to the protagonists wonder, new knowledge, but above all a sea of problems. The Vatican, having discovered the existence of the creature, will do everything to get hold of it.

In the complex Machiavellian machinations of the Lords who yearn for victory, devious agents come into play aiming to consume the forces of the enemy.

But just when it seems that the protagonists are nothing more than mere pawns in a storm too intense to avoid shipwreck, we discover the truth of a complex design.

By the mixture of very high technology and the historical legacy relating to the Gnostic apocryphal gospels, we learn that the three companions of Argos are, in reality, the former Lords of the system that he had inherited, but which had been usurped by Yaldabaoth, the current contender.

The Trinity, this is the name of the original Lords of the system, activates an emergency protocol which, due to the intervention of the Guarantor, suspends the challenge and triggers another one where the protagonists will fight for decades in the earthly paradise that orbits around the earth.

The new contenders, formed by the factions of Argos and the Trinity opposed to the followers of Yaldabaoth, however, seem to come quickly to an agreement to live in paradise forever and in peace.

In reality, the followers of Yaldabaoth, the archons, have prepared a plan to win the challenge by assassinating all rivals. They create a multitude of descendants who hids in their territory of the earthly paradise and prepare for war.

Argos and his companions save themselves from extermination, but are forced to adopt the same strategy as the enemy to survive. What had been a clash between two small groups turns into a conflict between nations, a democracy and a tyranny.

During the final battle only one of the archons survives, Westra, but she had been betrayed by her people who had enslaved her. So, even though she becomes the Lady of the system, she does not seek revenge on her former enemies, Argos and his companions.

Defeated Yaldabaoth, the challenge ends, but it remains to be determined, according to the provisions of the Guarantor, who will become the final Lord between Westra and Dysith.

The ending is disastrous for the Lords. The gray eminence who controls the challenges, the Guarantor, has deceived all the demigods and by exercising his undisputed power over the systems, he has forced the Lords to create a constitution that introduces an ethical law to which they too must comply.

The demigods, now arrogant tyrants for eons, enemies since time immemorial, being unable to agree, slaughter each other in the parliament created by the Guarantor to make them come to an agreement. In extremis, a ploy allows Argos to take absolute control. Its first act is to restart all simulated universes.

Genre: FICTION / Science Fiction / General

Secondary Genre: FICTION / Dystopian

Language: English

Keywords: science fiction, simulated reality, virtual reality, historical

Word Count: 75000

Sales info:

I offer 30% of my royalties on making a movie, series or anime based on the novel.

The book was written for a Japanese or English audience and is designed to be converted into a movie or anime. This is because the data tells us that fantasy in Italy absolutely does not arouse the interest of the public. Consequently, despite the numerous awards I have won in the past for the science fiction genre (see my author profile), I have decided to publish this book in Japanese or English as the literary markets of these countries are interesting. The book was published as an ebook on Amazon in Italian and enjoys excellent reviews.


Sample text:

 

"You have been chosen because I personally deemed you the most qualified for the position. I want you to put as much effort as possible into the work you will have to do for me. Listen carefully. If you succeed, I will grant you whatever you ask for. Anything below divine status, of course."

The goddess assessed her servant's reactions. He remained expressionless.

"But!... Your failure will plunge you into a timeless agony where a minute will seem to expand until it becomes a century." said the goddess in an evil voice.

Mantes's heart leaped once unperceivably.

He thought of backing out. He thought about saying: -I am not worthy to serve you for such an important task. - But would it have helped? No. Dysith's will was clear.

"I am ready, my goddess, tell me what to do." Mantes declared resolutely.

“You will travel to a new and unknown world and take the body form of one of its inhabitants. In these guises you will have to lead a priest towards perdition. He will abandon his vestment. He will give up his faith. Your new role will be that of Emo, servant of a close friend of the priest who is your target. You must corrupt Argos. Don’t disappoint me."

"As you command, my goddess." Mantes asserted deferentially, lowering his head.

Then he vanished and found himself in a room where a patient and kind elder taught him many things about the world he would go to and about the individual, Emo, he would impersonate.

Back in his rooms he fell asleep. When he woke, he was standing in front of an imposing black marble temple, in a crowd. He awoke in the Rome of 1073.


Book translation status:

The book is available for translation into any language except those listed below:

LanguageStatus
Italian
Unavailable for translation.
Spanish
Unavailable for translation.

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