Humanity has woken up seven years earlier to find out that we’re all just living in a computer simulation. In fact, the whole universe is a simulation.

The day of The Announcement, words in different scripts flash in front of everyone’s eyes to declare this fact, and to cite as proof hundreds of physic impossibilities that simultaneously appear around the globe. Everyone’s personal beliefs, relationships, ambitions and behavior gets thrown into turmoil. Some people in response commit suicide, others join militant conspiracy groups, while others work on figuring out how to find a glitch in the system that would enable them to escape to the “Real World.” The U.S. government embarks on a billion-dollar project to create true human-like artificial intelligence in order to game the system.

in this ironic futuristic take on The Canterbury Tales, an eclectic set of characters on a Pilgrimage boards a cross-country bus run by Canterbury Trails for a highlights tour of the North American Impossibilities. These range from a frozen upside-down tornado made of an unearthly substance, to hollow wandering sheep, to a Tunnel where you can spend as much time as you like before emerging across the country one second later. Each of the Impossibilities turns reality as we used to know it on its head, defying all the known laws of physics. People’s reactions range from reverence to deep skepticism as they try to piece together their own new understanding of the world.

We start off getting introduced to the tour participants by narrator who uses all caps titles to describe them, from THE ENGINEER, THE RABBI, THE NURSE, THE COMIC BOOK WRITER, and so on. Later we begin to question who this narrator may actually be, along with the potential incompetence of the program’s runners called The Simulators.

Each person on the bus has their own reasons for the journey, but you have to read as each gets surprisingly revealed across time in order to not spoil the surprises.

Suffice it to say that an epic adventure ensues, existential questions get debated, and the character development has you deeply vested in what happens to each tour participant.

Thanks to S&S and Saga Press, and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Speculative fictions meets road trip. If that pitch appeals to you, I would give this a read.

Seven years after the announcement that everything we thought was real is actually a simulation, a group of strangers joins a bus tour to see impossible creations across America. A simple enough premise, but there is a lot to learn to keep up with the story.

The ensemble cast is hit or miss. I enjoyed getting to know most of the characters, though there are definitely some we get to know better than others. I couldn't really comprehend what The Reader was doing on the tour. I found the two nuns difficult to differentiate. The octos were just there. The people with a more central story: JP, Dulin, Gillian, and Lady Mmm were interesting and fleshed out, but there was a noticeable amount of filler in the other storylines.

The world building was good. I loved the ideas of the impossibles, and the way people react and can freak out over them. It's an interesting idea that we could learn that nothing is real, but just on with everything anyway.

In the end I thought that there were more questions than answers, the ending felt abrupt.

I would definitely recommend this to some people, but I wouldn't praise it indiscriminately.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC!

I really loved this premise. And I especially loved the philosophical exploration of the simulation hypothesis. I really loved the notion that after a period of freak out and adjustment upon learning that we are living in a simulation, that some people just moved on with their lives. Like, as a practical matter, how different is it really? I also enjoyed spending time with the characters and became invested in their relationships, their hardships, and their struggles. My one gripe is that second half of the book becomes increasingly devoted to the point of view of Lady Mmm, the character I least liked and also the one that never really gets redeemed. She just kind of falls out of the book and disappears. I’m also a bit flummoxed by the Rabbi, who doesn’t keep kosher and who comes across as kind of a dufus until he finds faith in himself by following a Minecraft sheep. Not quite sure what we’re supposed to take away from that. Overall, really enjoyed this out of the box book and will definitely recommend to others.

Imagine if it was announced that you are living in a simulated world. This is the very unique store of a huge cast of characters on a guided bus trip to visit "The Impossibles", that appeared just after the announcement. The story is told through multiple POVs. The quirky and odd friendship of JP and Dulin is a highlight.

To get some handle, some orientation into what Gregory is doing with this novel, it might help to consider the following: Think of this constellation of authors and ideas: Chaucer, Tom Robbins, and Jack Kerouac being exposed to the mind virus found in Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom's infamous (2003) essay, Are You Living in a Simulation.

Yes, it's a road trip novel but with an unusual McGuffin. Gregory creates a world in which it's mysteriously revealed that what was once thought of as the Real, is just a simulation. And how long has the simulation been running? Yesterday, two weeks ago, since the Big Bang...? There are even glitches in The Matrix that underscore the bleak deflationary insight that humanity is not exceptional. This makes some skeptics cry foul and see a vast conspiracy, while others try to game the situation in gruesome ways.

Lots of meaty questions. How deep does the rabbit hole go? That is are there other layers of simulation... that is folks in simulations creating their own or even parallel simulations? Is there a base reality? Who and what are the simulators? Are the simulators to the 21st-century version of a creator? Possibly an updated version of an ontological proof of the existence of a creator?

There's a feast of sublime philosophy to contemplate that rarely overshadows 'the road trip.' Highly recommended.

Daryl Gregory's "When We Were Real" offers a captivating exploration of artificial intelligence intertwined with an alternate world that keeps readers engrossed from start to finish. Gregory masterfully crafts a narrative that balances intricate world-building with deep character development, making it a noteworthy read for sci-fi enthusiasts.

The story unfolds in a universe where artificial intelligence is not only prevalent but is a cornerstone of society. Gregory's portrayal of AI is refreshingly nuanced, steering clear of the usual dystopian tropes and instead presenting a thought-provoking exploration of its impact on humanity and identity.

The alternate world depicted in the book is rich and vividly constructed, immersing readers in its unique societal norms and technological advancements. Gregory's attention to detail allows for a seamless integration of the fantastical elements into the narrative, making the world both believable and intriguing.

One of the highlights of the novel is its diverse cast of characters, each well-developed with distinct voices and compelling backstories. Their interactions with AI and the challenges they face in this alternate reality are portrayed with depth and empathy, adding emotional weight to the overarching narrative.

While the book is a thrilling read, it occasionally delves into complex themes and scientific jargon that might be overwhelming for some readers. However, these elements ultimately enrich the story, offering a profound reflection on the intersection of technology and human nature.

Overall, "When We Were Real" is a thought-provoking and entertaining journey that showcases Daryl Gregory's talent for blending speculative fiction with deep philosophical questions. It earns a solid four stars and is highly recommended for those who appreciate a well-crafted tale of artificial intelligence and alternate realities.

It’s been a while since I’ve read sci-fi, but this was such a fun and refreshing read! The concept really intrigued me, especially since I often wonder whether we’re living in a simulation—and if so, who’s controlling the chaos that is life?

I enjoyed the different points of view and getting to know all the characters on this wacky ride. If you’re looking for something a little different yet still a fun and emotional journey, I highly recommend When We Were Real!

A big thank you to Saga Press for providing me with an advance reader’s copy via NetGalley.

When We Were Real is a wild romp of a roadtrip novel, where a busload of varied characters take a tour visiting what are essentially glitches in the simulation they are all living in. The story shifts narration frequently, but Gregory did a great job creating his characters and I never felt lost in the shuffle. This book was humorous and thoughtful, with an ending that tugged at my heartstrings. There are unpredictable and unexpected twists and turns, and this science fiction novel felt fresh and interesting from start to finish. Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for a digital review copy.

A road trip like no other. This demands that you ride along with a group of seekers who want to see the Impossibles of North America. But it's not about what they see, it's about who they-and we-are. This moves between the pilgrims to tell their stories. There's good worldbuilding and a fair amount of philosophizing which combine to make for a good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For those looking for something different.

Daryl Gregory is one of those few writers who seem to have an almost supernatural insight into the human condition, and in WHEN WE WERE REAL, those powers come out in full force. What, on the surface, reads like an "okay, but WHAT IF" sci-fi romp with a cast of borderline caricatures becomes a sharp finger, poking the back of your brain. It is definitely the type of book that Xing-Xing would reread, a flexible narrative that bends and twists with every visit. An Impossible all its own. Highly recommended.

All aboard a cross country trip to see the "Impossibles" of North America as we follow a really random group of individuals (a nun, a novice, a rabbi, father/son duo, honeymooners, a prego influencer and many more!)

Each Impossible is a glitch in the matrix. You heard that right. We are all in a simulation and now there's some errors in the code causing some very unique and fun site seeing events to venture to. As we jump to different POVs throughout the novel we learn how each characters is connected to this trip and the simulation. This novel really gets your gears grinding..... what if we are currently in a matrix of our own? What's your thoughts on our creators? One of our characters is faced with a crucial choice..... how do we get out.

Thank you Daryl for such a love fun humor's book especially during such scary times. Maybe we are just living in a different version of a simulation. Time to break the system.

Thank you, Saga Press for the ARC! #SagaSaysCrew

I loved the premise of this book – a tour bus full of characters on a cross country trip, stopping to see all of the “impossibles”. Seven years prior, the Announcement revealed that all of existence is actually a simulation (I love that this wasn’t a reveal, the characters already knew which was unique!). The “Impossibles” are glitches in the simulation and of course double as tourist hot spots. Sound confusing? It is a little at first. There’s a fun seating chart at the beginning of the book and I thought that was such a cool addition.

Each person on the bus has a distinct voice and personality (and there’s a bunch of people!). At times, it was a little hard to keep up with but once you get into the story you start to get the hang of each character! Some of them I didn’t care for, but that’s to be expected when you have a cast this large. It got a little long and slow in the middle of the story, but picked up for the ending!

I had fun with this, and it was equally thought-provoking, which I loved. If you’re interested in the concept and you enjoy reading about characters and their motivations/wants/loves, I think you should read this! It publishes 4/1/25!

Daryl Gregory’s When We Were Real is a wild, funny, and surprisingly emotional ride through a world where reality is just a simulation. JP and Dulin’s last big adventure, a cross-country bus tour of “Impossibles,” bizarre physics-breaking glitches, sets the stage for a story that’s part sci-fi road trip, part existential crisis. The world-building is clever, the humor is sharp, and the concept itself is fascinating, making for a book that’s as entertaining as it is thought-provoking.

The heart of the novel lies in its characters, from JP and Dulin’s touching friendship to the quirky mix of fellow travelers. Some perspectives are more engaging than others, and a few characters feel a little over-the-top, but the core emotional arc lands beautifully. The ending packs a punch, tying things together in a way that lingers.

Thanks to Saga Press for sharing this advance reader's copy with me!

What would you do if, tomorrow, it was announced that we were living in a simulation? That everything around you wasn’t actually real, but just code—made up of zeros and ones…

This story picks up seven years after a similar announcement. We meet a group of quirky individuals grappling with life in the aftermath, who decide to embark on a cross-country bus tour to witness glitches and geographic wonders known as “Impossibles.” Tour bus drama unfolds, along with plenty of introspection on the meaning of life.

This book was such a delightful surprise. I can’t remember the last time I read a true sci-fi novel, and this one did not disappoint. It was everything I hoped a book on this topic would be—thought-provoking, humorous, and full of heart. Each character was so well-developed—flaws and all. I loved how their individual journeys intertwined seamlessly with the overall story. The ending to me, was a bit bittersweet. I would have loved more details on a few things, but I can’t say much without spoiling it. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. A solid four-star read.

On a side note, I also loved how the author compared a woman’s period to a 40-year home loan. I’ve never read a truer, more brilliant comparison.

Great book that touched a lot of my interests. By virtue of coming in midstory, there was both a lot of exposition in the first chapter, but not enough (the author makes a conscious choice not to tell us everything about the simulation right away, which is a choice I respected). As a result, it took me a little bit to get into the story and to feel for the characters. Once that was underway though, I was fully invested and eager to read what happened next.
There were times where I wished I could sit more in this world, but the story moved me on before I was ready, so there were often things left unfulfilled. The relationship with the two nuns and the rabbi for example (or even the rabbi and the "sheep") felt abandoned at the end. I thought the older nun would be a bigger character than she ended up being.
Still, I greatly enjoyed it.

I have been granted an advanced copy of when we were real by Gregory Doyle at no cost for review by net gallery. All opinions and thoughts written here are my own. I was not compensated in any way for this review.
I have just finished reading when we were real by Gregory Doyle. As an avid science fiction reader I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Without giving anything away this book feels as if it was created using things out of The matrix and Terminator with a little bit of hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy thrown in just to smooth out the rough edges and darker patches of what might have seemed to be a little too out there. So it created enough cushion for the reader to just bounce along on this literary field trip. Gregory Doyle also threw in enough of today's jargon and text chatter that today's readers will thoroughly enjoy this book I believe, and maybe after reading this review, harken back to the previously mentioned works by other people. Thank you Gregory Doyle for allowing me to be one of the first passengers. Ann, a field trip like this one. I hope that you write other books like this and I would love to be on the passenger list of those tours as well.

The center of When We Were Real—the characters, mystery, and world-building—is thrilling, thought-provoking, and sharply written. Unfortunately, some of the side plots, mainly due to the characters involved, aren’t nearly as interesting.

It’s a smart decision to start with the characters already knowing they’re in a simulation. The novel can skip the reveals so common in this type of story and get right to the existential angst and moral questions associated with living in and being a part of virtual reality. Plus, part drama but also part thriller-mystery, the story still has a whole series of unique and clever reveals.

Each character on the tour gets some point-of-view time (though it isn’t equal), and, broadly speaking, the closer the characters are to the novel’s central moral questions and mystery, the stronger it is. ‘Gillian’, intelligent, fierce and already on the run at the start of the novel, is at the twisty mystery’s center. Her speculation on virtual reality and artificial intelligence is always intelligent and seemingly thoroughly researched. JP, the heart of the novel, and Dulin, his best friend, become the closest to ‘Gillian’ and are wonderfully realized characters. Their friendship is one of the most touching relationships I’ve read recently.

Beyond this, I didn’t find myself as engaged. Some characters are still interesting, but not as fully realized (4 stars instead of 5). I put the religious speculations of the rabbi and the nuns into this category. They’re more easily reduced to a few traits and their religious explorations don’t feel quite as well thought-out. The biggest issues are characters that are aggravating without seeming to offer any real insight (2.5 to 3 stars instead of 5). Lisa Marie Montello, narcissistic social media influencer, is the most prominent in this category. She often feels like a caricature and, at times, like a younger person being written by an older person.

Still, When We Were Real’s strengths thoroughly outweigh its weaknesses, and, if you’re intrigued by the concept, you should read it. The ending brings everything together with a surprisingly emotional impact, which I hope is setting up a sequel to delve even more into the world’s deep potential.

Daryl Gregory is my favorite author, but this wasn’t my favorite book of his; however, it was still pretty great. . The characters and their motivations were all very fleshed out, as was the world they inhabit. That being said, I wish the book had focused more on the “why” of the sims; what was the purpose of letting everyone know they were in a sim? Why was Utnapishtim given the chance he was given? What is Adaku’s overall importance? I know that the book was meant to be a small set of stories taking place in this large premise, but I would have liked more explanations. Maybe, like the book says, I just crave the solvable.

"When We Were Real" simultaneously bewilders and captivates. As someone who doesn't typically gravitate towards science fiction, I found myself irresistibly drawn to this tale of two friends embarking on a cross-country bus tour. The world-building is a masterful blend of the familiar and the fantastical; while rooted in recognizable elements, its fictional aspects initially challenged my comprehension. However, as I read more, the uniqueness of this imagined world began to unfold, revealing a landscape unlike anything I've encountered in literature before.

The true heart of the narrative lies in its vibrant cast of characters. Dulin and JP, our protagonists, are joined by an eclectic group of fellow tourists, each harboring their own motivations for this peculiar journey. Their interactions and escapades oscillate between hilarious and absurd, painting a rich tapestry of human (and perhaps not-so-human) experiences.

Gregory employs an intriguing narrative technique, breaking the fourth wall with an omniscient narrator who directly addresses the reader. This unconventional approach adds an extra layer of intrigue to an already compelling story.

The conclusion leaves me in a state of contemplative ambivalence, its implications still percolating in my mind. While "When We Were Real" may not conform to traditional sci-fi tropes, it offers an undeniably entertaining and thought-provoking journey through a world both strange and strangely familiar.

Thank you, Saga Press and NetGalley, for my free book.

I was not expecting to be sobbing at the end of this one yet here we are. What a fascinating read?!

When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory is a road trip novel following a group of people on a cross country bus tour that takes them to see Impossibles—unthinkable sights you wouldn’t believe to exist such as a frozen tornado—in a world where they have received earth shattering news that they are living in a simulation. This sci-fi novel deals with larger themes including grief, family, friendship, love, ethics in artificial intelligence, existentialism, and identity.

Review:

Like a few other readers, the writing style and point of view took some time to get used to and made the story a tad hard to follow in the beginning. After a small chunk, though, I was fully immersed and engaged in the story.

One of my favorite things about this book is the character work. I loved that the book switches between a fascinating set of characters who made me feel almost every emotion it’s possible to feel: anger, joy, happiness, sadness, elation. One character in particular made me want to scream and shout every time the POV shifted back to them.

As we get to know each character, though, we see that this book is a book that provokes discussions around existentialism and meaning—which is another element I loved because it forces readers to almost situate themselves in the story. What would you do if you were just told you were in a simulation? This is truly a reflective read—another positive.

After being told they are in a simulation, each character has reckoned with this earth shattering news in their own way. These characters with their own distinct personalities and journeys felt authentic to follow, which is of course due to Gregory’s character work.

Overall, I highly recommend this novel. It’s fun, entertaining, and very wild.

Thanks to Saga Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. This review will also be posted on my social media account (instagram.com/mediaonmedia) around publication day. I can’t wait to share this with everyone!!