Otherland starts out with a soldier in the trenches of World War I, a professor in a South African university, a god holding court in ancient Egypt, and a barbarian in a cheesy role-playing game. The professor's brother is comatose after an encounter in virtual reality, launching her into an investigation of powerful forces who are shaping the world for their own gain. Hang on, because some of these threads don't tie together until nearly the end of the book, but tie in they do. This is book one of a four-book epic, and book two is already on my kindle for next month.​