The Metamind Trilogy

In Metamind—



Theron Hibbing introduces the Me-2, a dream machine deluxe that richly confirms whatever fantasy the user has, no matter how grand, puerile, or demented. Completely by accident, Clara Nolan, an unemployed nobody, uncovers the horrifying cost of the device. Jack Land, son-in-law of Theron Hibbing, is watching his life unravel when Clara walks into his office and hands him his personalized nest of wasps.



In The Downward Path—



The Metamorph malware began as an idle toss-off, but it turned into the perfect tool for fulfilling one's meanest impulses. Whether hostile housemate, ticked-off employee, or arrogant politician, people could now attack their victims with a viciousness limited only by imagination. As part of this, Clara Nolan is assigned to cover the Hollywood sociopath de jour, Blake Blaine. While Jack is hunting down the vile Drs. Vogt and Ichi, Clara goes missing while on a movie shoot.



In The Road To Hell—



The Me-2 returns with a vengeance as the Me-3. Now, with an E-track for emotional involvement, it is hopelessly addictive. Applications metastasize that can turn any aspect of life into an entertainment while the real world is on the steep, swift road to hell. Against this backdrop, Jack Land disappears, kidnapped by the Drs. Vogt and Ichi. Clara Nolan laces up her running shoes and goes after him.



[Included is a brief appearance by the famously reclusive actress Sylvia Romilar.]



270,000 words





About Wayne Wightman's Fiction:



John Brunner, the legend himself: "Wayne Wightman is agreeable company, both in person and via the printed page. As to the former, I'm afraid you will have to wait the chance to make his acquaintance…. As to the latter, however, now's your chance."



Orson Scott Card, Hugo and Nebula winner: "[Wayne Wightman is] …one of the names I[‘ve] learned to look for…. He…is a romantic whose stories confess his belief that individuals can be larger than life, that their decisions can change the world around them."



Best Story of the Year 2011 awarded to Wayne Wightman's "Brutal Interlude" by Orson Scott Card's online magazine The Intergalactic Medicine Show.



Richard Paul Russo, Philip K. Dick Award winner: "One of Wightman's great strengths is his willingness to go to the edge. He pulls no punches, whether the story is serious or violent or manic. You can count on him to take you places other writers shy away from."



Lewis Shiner, writer par excellence and editor: "Wayne Wightman… has produced an impressive series of connected stories… full of manic energy, rich in colors and emotions."



Ed Ferman, editor of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction: "He writes top quality sf and fantasy, humor and horror, and he never forgets to tell a compelling tale."