Hacked Into The Game: Episode 01

5 Hackers, 1 Game... and 10,000 Ravenous UndeadWelcome to the World of Gameland, a live-action virtual reality arcade situated in the middle of a post-outbreak Long Island and home to the Reanimated. Think you've got what it takes to compete in the arena? For the uber-rich and super-talented masters of VR-MMORPG, it's an escapist fantasy world of lawlessness, violence, and mayhem.For 5 young gamer-hackers, it's a world they cannot escape from.Why ZPOCALYPTO?Gameland is the post-apocalyptic dystopian world I first created in 2011 with the publication of the short story "Golgotha," which later became the prequel to this bestselling cyberpunk series. Originally just called GAMELAND, the series was released in eight "episodic" installments. Readers quickly demanded more, and a "Season Two", plus a number of standalone companion titles, were subsequently published.And still my readers wanted more.I'm happy to announce that at least two new spinoff series are now in the works. Both are set within the same terrifyingly all-too-plausible near-future world. To prepare for their upcoming release, I felt it was time to update the original series. Gaps have been filled in, loose ends tied up, and unresolved questions answered. With both seasons newly repackaged into one 14-episode collection, which now includes significantly refreshed and expanded content and gorgeous new covers, I am re-releasing the stories under new branding. The legacy series is now called ZPOCALYPTO. It and the spin-offs will hereafter be incorporated under the World of Gameland banner. "Golgotha" and all pre-existing companion titles and supplemental materials for the original series will be included within future ZPOCALYPTO episodes and boxsets, so you won't miss a single word. But if you can't wait to read the story that set this all in motion, you can find "Golgotha" in my short story collection, Shorting the Undead and Other Horrors.Now, if you're a returning Gameland fan, I thank you for your continuing support. It is my hope that with this relaunch, you don't just rediscover the thrills you experienced upon reading the original series, but that this resurrection further enriches your love and devotion to the world and its characters. At the very least, rereading it as we approach GAMELAND's tenth anniversary will hopefully prepare you for what is to come next!So grab some snacks, settle into your comfy spot, and set your phone to "do not disturb." Take my hand and hold on tight. It's time to enter The Game.Happy reading,Saul