I really had no idea what to expect when I started Psychotopia by R.N. Morris bit I was drawn to the book by the title lone. The name just struck a chord with me and I was eager to dive in and see what surprises the book held in store.

Psychotopia was the perfect video game for the modern world. With insanity spreading through the world and violence becoming a way of life, the escape into a fictional world in which the player could be any type of lunatic he desired seemed the perfect escape. Becoming a monster in a fictional world was the escape from the beasts that inhabited the real one. They could release their violence in a fake world so that they could function in socially accepted manner in the real one. It almost seemed too good to be true. It was.

The world is in a downward spiral and Psychotopia was much more than a game. Who is more insane, though? Those who are being tested or those who re performing the test? Maybe the answer is neither. Maybe the world is not going crazy. The world may not be going mad after all. The insanity that seems to be infecting the world may not be a disease at all. It seems as if after all is said and done, insanity is just the next evolutionary step in the history of mankind. Or is it?

Psychotopia is a very difficult book to describe which is why the summary above is disjointed and only hints at what lies within these pages. The narrative is disjointed and really jumps round between story lines so that the reader never has a chance to settle in. This may make the story difficult for some readers to get into but the reward for working through the tangled narrative is well worth the effort. There are three main narratives that run though the novel. There is the story of a cop who is trying to navigate through the violent world. Then there is the story of a woman who is a victim of a relationship with one of the psychopaths. The third is in the form of interludes by the game developers and the decisions made in developing the game. These threads at first seem to be dancing round each other but eventually come together to make a coherent narrative.

Psychotopia is an intentionally jumbled story so that it reflects life and the world it is about. This makes the book difficult to follow at times but the story ultimately comes together in the end and leaves the reader thinking about it long after the last word is read. This is a story of chaos much like the world around us. This story is a mix of horror, science fiction, and social commentary that will leave the reader gasping for breath and marveling at the truth that lies within the fiction. Not for the faint of heart, Psychotopia brings the reader on a roller coaster ride of mayhem and madness that shines a light on the human condition at its conclusion.

I would like to thank Severn House and NetGalley for this review copy. Psychotopia is available now.

Psychotopia is a Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Thriller with a unique and disturbing plot that drew me in from the first page and had me up all night reading to the end.

There are three perspectives in this book: a police officer, a woman who is used by a psychopath, and a psychopath who is hiring a woman for his company, Alpha Games. In between each chapter are noted for the virtual reality game, Psychotopia. Each chapter is vastly different, yet, in the end, they are drawn together.

This book asks so many questions about humanity and morality. The ideas presented here are actually quite scary to think about and I’ve been nonstop thinking about this book since I put it down.

R.N. Morris has crafted an incredibly complex novel here that keeps you thinking long after you’ve finished reading. I highly recommend this one and it’s definitely going on my list of favorites for 2019!

Psychotopia is a work of speculative fiction in which society is filled with psychopaths. The narrative follows select individuals, some psychopathic and some not. Through their lives, we experience the indefinite change in society from our own and consider the consequences.
The perspective that has the most influence on my interpretation of the book is the police officer, Rick. His contributions to the book are primarily retrospective to the main storyline. As he also opens and closes the book with his thoughts on all that has happened. Consequently, the story feels less like the action-packed novel the synopsis indicates it will be and rather more philosophical. It’s not a criticism because I still enjoyed the book and the overall story. It is just told a little differently!
One of the philosophical elements I drew from the book is the influence of games on people’s minds. Can one person’s vision become media that alters another's perspective? There are numerous debates about possible links between video games and violence. Nothing has been proven though. When a creeper blew up my ground-level spider spawner, I was pretty damn bitter. It was only 50 or so blocks away from base as well! I didn’t get violent as a result though. I have to think Minecraft isn’t quite in the league of Psychotopia, for my own sanity’s sake...
Still, having access to viewing and instigating negative behaviour in games may alter perspective over time. It’s a “which came first, the chicken or the egg” argument really, but I think about stuff like that. I’m an excellent debater... (at least in my own head).
Unusually, I found that chapters with different characters are written in different persons. I thought it an inconsistency at first, but it is done quite deliberately. I also enjoyed the nuance of chapters about the game development being issued as ‘circulars’. It serves well to break up the narrative and add some informal, conversational (and twisted) ideas into play.

For an author who is primarily known for historical fiction to take a leap into a futuristic setting is a brave one, but for R. N. Morris and Psychotopia it largely pays off.

The interesting thing about this novel is that there are elements that are clearly futuristic, but many things are not too disimilar to today – it’s not a great leap to imagine the dystopian future Morris has created coming true sooner rather than later.

The premise of the book – that psychopathy is becoming more and more widespread, and coming out of the shadows and into the mainstream – is easy to identify with, especially given current issues with terrorism and a surge in knife crime and even, to some extent, psychopathy among our current elected officials would not be hard to imagine.

Choosing a game as the focus of the book is an interesting one, given the media insistence that games fuel reckless behaviour – despite research indicating otherwise – and asks the question of whether the game fuels the behaviour, or if art just imitates what is going on in the wider world – not sure it’s something we will ever be able to truly answer, but this book offers one possibility.

The different character voices are unique, but there is something really sinister about the game developer – perhaps knowing what you know about the book and what you infer about him from how the book is set up aids this, but also some of his ideas for the Psychotopia game could only come out of a very sick mind!

This book is an interesting, yet bleak, look at a possible future fuelled by an over-reliance on technology, big corporations and an increase in the media fuelling the flames of hatred and leading many people to care only for themselves and their near family. It’s my sincere hope that this vision of the future never comes to pass – uncomfortable reading, but compulsive all the same.

This book really makes you think.  A new game has been developed that enables the player to become a psychopath, it encourages despicable behaviour.

Society has broken down, crime is rampant.  Psychopaths now out number non psychopaths.  People take pleasure in violence, even young children are exhibiting worrying behaviour.

This book is told from different pints of view, Aimee who is seduced by a charmer and destroys her faith.  A cop who never had any faith but is battling to help restore order, and a psychopath who enjoys manipulation. The chapters are separated by the planning noted for the game.

The book does describe horrific acts of violence but it is important to the story as we see the erosion of society and what is considered 'normal' behaviour.

I was really excited when I saw Psychotopia by R.N. Morris. A virtual reality game centered around psychopaths? Be still my beating heart! You had me at “psychopath.” I have always been interested in psychopaths, particularly how their mind works and why they do the things they do. Blame it on my Criminal Justice major in college or my fascination with serial killers. Am I little weird? Quite Possibly! Anyway, add in a virtual reality game to the storyline and R.N Morris had me salivating to get my hands on his newest book, Psychotopia. Is this book shocking? Yes! In your face? Yes! Disturbing? Hell yes! Did I love it? OMG yes!

Let me start off by saying that I do play a virtual reality game called Second Life and I have played this game for many years. Do they have some crazy things that go on in this game, yes! Maybe not to the extent of Psychotobia, but there are quite some disturbing role plays that go on in this game. So, the premise behind the Psychotopia game really intrigued me and before you ask….yes I would play this game. Don’t judge!

Psychotobia is a set in a dystopian future where psychopaths are considered the norm in society and will eventually outnumber non psychopaths. Dr. Arbus believes there are many psychopaths around us with most being undetected, but he has come out with a device that can easily detect if someone is psychopathic or not. But, forcing someone to take the test really pushes boundaries in the government and especially against people’s rights. Inspector Glenn Parfett believes there are two types of psychopaths – idiot ones and brilliant ones. Parfett thinks he is a human detection reader can tell if someone is psychopath or not by just looking at them. Then there is Sally who is now working for the gaming company that is developing Psychotopia and soon finds herself the target of a psychopath. We also learn the story behind Aimee’s life and how it took a turn for the worse when she was targeted by a psychopath who changed her life completely.

Interweaved between each of these characters stories is the inner working and the conception of the VR game known as Psychoptia and believe me when I tell you it is very very disturbing. Morris really has a wicked mind and really hits you with the shock factor again and again and again. Morris has written a dark story that also rings a bit of truth in it as well, which again, is creepy all in itself. While all of the parts of the story may seem separate, they do eventually all tie in together really nicely. What I think is also different is the story is the main focus rather than the characters. Honestly, I absolutely LOVED this book!

I was completely engaged in this brilliantly dark and eerie story. A definite five stars from me. While this story might not be for everyone, I definitely think if you have an open mind or like really gritty, in your face craziness, then you will really love this book.

After reading the blurb, I thought I knew what the book was about. I presumed it was about a VR game, how wrong I was.
Set in a dystopian Britain, where it was predicted that psychopaths were soon to be the majority. This book tells the stories of 3 characters that are affected living in this world. Inspector Glen Parfett is an overworked Police Officer. His job was to bring in psychopaths, who he can spot just by looking at them. Working on the National Taskforce, he has his most difficult case when a young girl is charged with murder. Aimee, is a trainee architect, quite a quiet girl, but a serious mistake one weekend changes her life forever. Oscar Winslett is the Head of Game Development at Alpha Games, he is in the process of designing a new VR game called Psychotopia. A narcissist and a psychopath, a pretty dangerous man to know.
Running through the story were internal notes outlining the new VR game. It got me thinking what would people’s reaction be if a game like this would be released and how popular would it be. I enjoyed this element of the story as you follow the concept of the game from the first idea. The inclusion of new technology like MindNet in the book, gives it a sci-fi feel and helps explain the fear and the new crazes that appear overnight when it has been broadcasted over the channels. The more you learn about the Arbus-Lubany machine, the more you wonder if it will save society.
Written in 3rd person, helps you read the different characters’ stories without any confusion. At the start, they are three individual characters stories, but as the story continues, their stories merge into one. You get an understanding how they cross paths with each other, and how each action affected their lives.
As you are reading their stories you get embroiled up in their lives and the further you go into the story.
Even a few days after finishing this book. I am still thinking about the story. Whilst there are some violent scenes in the book, this did not disturb me, it was the idea how easy the psychopaths blend in. The story is evenly paced and Aimee’s story took me on a rollercoaster of emotions.
This is the 1st book I have read by this author, so I did not know what to expect. I enjoyed this well-plotted book and with plenty of twists, it kept my interest. I am going to check out his other books. A good dystopian sci-fi read.

Psychotopia will mess with your mind….

Alpha Games are creating a VR game, where you create your own Psychopath with varying degrees of disorders….you choose!..

Serial killers get more points for more kills, the longer a psychopath remains undetected the better for the gamer……

But, the real world is struggling with a rise in violence, this is becoming the norm……adults and children alike are the perpetrators and victims.

Everyone’s lives are linked to their MindPhone, MindNet and MindMessages….(sound familiar?)

The cops are struggling, the hospitals are grim, to say the least……society is breaking down and the psychopath’s are starting to outnumber the non-psychopaths…..a new disorder is identified…the PGD….Psychopath Generated Disorder.

The story is told from several angles, the cop, Inspector Parfitt…an unlikeable jerk…..Aimee, who had been used and cast off by Charlie…..her friend Callum comes to her rescue….and Charlie\Oliver a creepy, nasty, psychopath. It’s chapters are separated by memos from Alpha Games about their game development…(the spiders ….urgh).

It plays on our fears of violent video games and the worrying suspicions that those who run our countries are potential psychopaths.

Then Dr Argus arrives, with his machine to identify Psychopaths in seconds, his plan is to test all children, sterilise them and end the cycle……but is that all?

This is a horrifying, disturbing and yet absolutely fascinating tale that makes you wonder….is this possible? Is it happening now?????…..Just watch the News, the everyday violence, it makes Psychotopia a very scary read. Brilliant, thought provoking and terrifying writing by R N Morris.

P or NP ?………now there’s a question…….

Thank you to The author, publishers and NetGalley for a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest and unbiased review.

A very interesting read and one that I did enjoy just still not sure how to really word what I felt as it definitely is far from what I expected

I really wanted to review this book but had serious issues with the ADE / eReader crossover. I imagine the book is great, I just couldn't do anything about it.

(np)? If there was a test would you take it to determine which you are would you take it? This is at the heart of Psychotopia, and I really enjoyed the Minority Report feel the writer gave to the book, a bit scary but totally believable. The creation of the game is just part of the story. I found the idea of a virtual reality game where the character is a psychopath interesting, and I’m surprised it doesn’t exist already. Does life influence the games we create or is it the other way around.
The story takes a bit to get going, but after you settle in it’s an interesting and an intriguing story. There are some portions of the story that were slow moving or overly described, but the dialog between the characters regarding psychopathology was well done. There are many story lines that all converge as we follow a detective, several victims, a test creator, and the game developer. The plot was filled with smart and cleaver discussions and points of view as to what makes a psychopath. Can you tell if someone is a (p), and can you prevent a person from becoming one, and most importantly can you ‘fix’ someone who is a (p).

What happens in society when psychopaths begin to outnumber non-psychopaths? Is there a way to weed them out? What should happen to them once identified?

Told from several points of view, interspersed with notes about a computer game, I found it difficult to know what exactly the point of the book was. Was the computer game the root of what was happening? I'm not sure - I finished it and just felt "Meh".

TW: mention of violence and sexual crimes, depravity

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Severn House, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

Psychotopia is a modern literary journey down through the seven circles of Hell which left me feeling utterly drained.

R.N. Morris has plucked out two of society’s current anxieties (the rise of psychopaths, especially in positions of power, and the influence of online gaming on the shape of our society), combined them with new scientific knowledge (the brain is a changing organ and neural pathways can be reprogrammed) and come up with a horrifyingly plausible future dystopian scenario.

What is a psychopath? According to Psychology Today:

Psychopaths are characterized by a suite of antisocial behavioral patterns, including cheating, stealing, and sometimes, far worse crimes. In short, these are people who exploit others for their own gain as a matter of their general life strategy.

The narrative moves between apparently unrelated characters.

There’s the apparently psychopathic cop who, along with his colleagues, is trying to bring some level of civic order to the chaos and anarchy caused by an inexplicable rise in psychopaths. His interactions with psychopathic criminals are both hilarious and horrifying. As many psychopaths are, he’s very entertaining and easy to like, though you’ll kick yourself later for warming to him.

Aimée is a young architect who picks up a gorgeous stranger at a friend’s party and takes him home with her. It’s a decision she’ll regret for the rest of her life.

Sally Mann is the newly hired Assistant Experiential Architect at Alpha Games, a job highly prized in game development circles. Her lack of confidence and desperate need to please make her prime fodder for her manipulative boss to exploit.

As the story progresses we discover these characters have more in common than it appears.

The story is interrupted regularly with confidential notes for the creation of ‘Psychotopia’, an online game being developed by Alpha Games. Players take on the avatar of a psychopath and are sent on an increasingly gruesome killing spree.

But what is causing the rise in psychopathy in the general population? And what will happen to society if the balance shifts in favour of the psychopaths?

As you’d expect, Psychotopia is peppered with some pretty stomach-churning violence. The mind games are also fairly next-level. Overall, this was a frightening and fascinating read about what could happen to our world if the minority becomes the majority.

PSYCHOTOPIA. The cover, the synopsis, the title, and the review of a friend all prompted me to request this book from NetGalley. I'm so glad I did!

There are several threads working together in this speculative fiction story. One from the POV of a policeman. Another from a young woman recently used and used hard by a handsome rogue. And lastly, there are chapters from a video game designer, talking about the architecture of a new, interactive, virtual reality experience. Such contrasting views, yet somehow I knew they would eventually come together, and they did.

PSYCHOTOPIA takes a hard look at the world and how it has evolved. Specifically, how humans have evolved. Is it possible that in an age so dark and hopeless a psychopath could be viewed as the natural evolution of mankind? A person who doesn't recognize the feelings of others, is free from the guilt that hurting others can bring. Is that a good thing or a bad thing in this new world?

What would happen if someone invented a machine which could determine if a person was a psychopath or not? Would you want to be tested? What kind of preventative measures could be taken if a person tests positive for psychopathy? Would such a test be a violation of civil rights? Would it become mandatory testing for certain jobs, like police officers or politicians?

I know I'm asking a lot of questions here, but that's what this book did to me. It wasn't a matter of simply reading it and saying "good story!" It made me think a lot about what this world is coming to, and about how we treat each other- not only our equals, but how we treat others both above and below what we believe to be our stations in life. I love books that make me think and this is definitely one of them.

I also loved the creativity and imagination that went into the world-building here, and I especially liked how I couldn't predict how the characters would come together. An urban setting full of psychopaths, (known or unknown), leaves a wide open field of crimes and misdemeanors and Mr. Morris exploits that field to the max. I enjoyed the hell out of it!

Highly recommended!

*Thank you to Severn House Publishers and to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*

I have been a fan of R.N. Morris for a number of years, enjoying his Porfiry Petrovich series and, in particular, his Silas Quinn novels. This is a bit of a departure for him; rather than a historical mystery, we have a science fiction, dystopian novel, which is also a thriller.

The premise behind the book is that more and more people are psychopaths. Crime is rising – especially in the younger population – and, of course, people are panicked about what will happen. Dr Arbus announces that he has a machine, which is able to identify psychopaths, but what should society do with them, once they are labelled?

There are three main points of view in this book. One is a policeman, one a woman who is taken in by a psychopath and the third, a psychopathic man, hiring a woman for his company, Alpha Games. Virtual Reality, and gaming generally, are linked to the plot; with notes for a virtual reality game – Psychotopia – linking the chapters.

Although there is much about ethics, morality and the impact of video games, R.N. Morris never loses sight of the plot and the characters. He deftly weaves the various strands of the plot together and creates a well imagined, all too realistic, future world. I still prefer Silas Quinn, I must admit, that this was a really enjoyable stand alone and I am glad I ventured out of my comfort zone to try it. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

Kind of a blah read with more violence and perversion than necessary to convey the major plot line. Not worth the read

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for an eGalley of this novel.

I didn't really like this book at all, in fact it disturbed me to the point of having to wait several weeks before writing this review to try to keep some unbiased perspective. The three stars is for the author having the talent to write so intriguingly that I wanted to finish the book in spite of my discomfort. It is practically required that you read the entire novel to see how the whole story ties together because chances are you will not work that whole plot out unaided. Well, it's for sure I didn't.

The book is written from three major perspectives with chapters dedicated to each POV while being interspersed with chapters following the creation of a computer game called Psychotopia. An unidentified person is writing suggestions for the game to employees who will actually make those suggestions become reality. The ideas begin as being fairly interesting from a gaming standpoint but slowly evolve into darker and more violent proposals for play. At the same time chaos is slowly building in this fantasy world as more and more people exhibit the behavior of psychopaths. Is the psychotic behavior pushing the game or is the game causing the behavior?

This book really bothered me because of the cruelty suggested as methods for advancing through higher and higher levels of the game. I've read that the author wanted to try writing something different. He definitely succeeded as far as I'm concerned but it positively did not make me a fan.

Riveting writing makes this title by R.N. Morris stand above many other science fiction and thriller books. The concept is intriguing - a kind of digital Running Man idea. I enjoyed the book for what it brought to the science fiction genre and I would recommend this title for readers who appreciate a fun and edge-of-your-seat adventure text.

What a pleasant surprise this turned out to be. I went into this with (pun alert) virtually no expectations. Never heard of the author, who seems to specialize in series as much as I specialize in saying away from series. Don’t particularly care for gaming stories, Ready Player One is hugely overrated. Even the title is somewhat cheesy. But then...I do like dystopias. And in this story the future belongs to psychos. And it isn’t even really all that much about gaming, it provides the framework for the novel (alternating chapters of a radical virtual reality game design), but the real story here is the psychos and those around them, all tangentially and then directly interconnected to each other and to the game. And, while at first the connections are tougher to realize, in the end it all comes together very nicely, creating a cohesive nightmarish ode to psychos as the only genuinely free individuals, their freedom being one of the ability to do as they wish without guilt, fear or inhibitions. There’s a machine in the novel that tests the subjects and labels them P or NP accordingly and much fascinating debate about rights and ethics such tests imply. And then as one might expect from such a story, there are some appalling scenes, starting off with pure psychological manipulation and ending up with strikingly grotesque brutality (the Aimee story to its conclusion). All in all I was impressed by this book, it was very well written and cleverly constructed, and while the future most likely belongs to the stupid (since they are the ones reproducing most diligently), it was fascinating to behold the imaginary world where the psychos take over. Very nice find. Any fan of intellectually stimulating dark speculative fiction would probably enjoy this one. Thanks Netgalley.

Psychotopia is based on the premise that psychopaths have become a larger part of the population and are wreaking havoc. The story is told through several different points of view. One point of view is a detective, one is of a woman who was a victim of a charming psychopath, and another is a psychopathic man hiring a woman at a video game company. There are gameplay notes peppered in between that describe a video game where psychopaths roam around.

The premise for this book has everything I should enjoy- psychology, psychopaths, video games, the horror thriller genre. I wanted to love this book, but instead merely tolerated it. It was intriguing enough to make me want to know the ending, and the writing is fairly good. The way the content was framed within the story was what I found unsatisfactory.

At first, the message the book was trying to convey was unclear. Did the video game cause an uptick of psychopaths? Are these people playing the game? Are they even real? So many questions, and even at the 45% mark, there were no answers. Maybe this is meta and the book itself is the uncaring psychopath. I felt uncomfortable trying to pinpoint the underlying, political message.

When the Dr. Arbus psychopath detector conference portion ended, there was an ill fitting sex scene, then suddenly Dr. Arbus is back at the hotel, talking about his psychopath detector with the detective again. It was disorienting.

About that sex scene... it was poorly written, and slightly anachronistic, which felt forced between two sections of plot that shouldn’t have been interrupted. I was cringing, and not in a creepy horror way, but in a, “my eyes are rolling so hard that I might get a migraine,” way. The whole, “she fucked like a man,” trope from male authors is old and stale. Did she put on a silicone penis and peg him? No? Then clearly she didn’t “fuck like a man.” Women enjoy sex and by middle age, usually take responsibility for their own orgasms. Giving normal, healthy sexual attitudes a gender bias is problematic. As I am so tired of this type of thinking, I reject it.

Overall, enjoyable, unsettling, and full of psychopaths. I look forward to reading this author’s future books. He used the slang word, ‘grotty,’ a cutesy shortening of the word ‘grotesque,’ which I have barely heard since middle school, and it took me back in a wave of nostalgia.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an unbiased review.