Solitaire

Work Title: Solitaire
Medium: Novel
Episode Title:
Year: 2002
Writer(s): Kelley Eskridge
"Original" Writer: Yes Own work?: No
Summary:

"Written by Kelley Eskridge, it is women's sci-fi from start to finish. That isn't necessarily bad or good, but aside from some corporate underpinnings, 'Solitaire' is about how a woman deals with the inadvertent commission of a horrible crime that plummets her from the societal pinnacle of a future Earth to an experimental virtual prison that locks criminals inside their own heads for years. / ... Segura's struggle is not with the world outside, but with her own demons, which of course she must face in her virtual-reality solitary confinement, and then again when she's released. / Those looking for a shoot-'em-up dose of high-flying sci-fi won't be all that excited with 'Solitaire,' but readers who would enjoy a slightly flawed young woman's battle to accept herself and deal with a hostile future world won't be disappointed." (from http://www.kelleyeskridge.com/Reviews/SolitaireReviewsP10.htm)

Era/Year of Portrayal: distant_future
Distinctive characteristics of the world in portrayal:

Earth is governed by a single goverment, america is now part of the NNA (nation of north america)

Technology

  • Name of portrayed presence-evoking technology: virtual confinement (VC)
  • Description of the technology: Instead of serving 40 years in prison, the protagnist, Jackal Segura, participates in an experiemental program where she serves 6 years in virtual solitary confinement. In real life, she is connected to machines keeping her alive and stimulating her muscles for 8 months, while she feels like she is serving 6 years in solitary confinement, very vividly. Her world is a small cell.
  • Nature of task or activity: Everything a typical prisoner would do in solitary confinement.
  • Performance of the Technology: Works well, untill she figures out how to break out, virtually, and enter a differernt virtual place.
  • Description of creator(s): Ko, a huge business conglomerate.
  • Major goal(s) of creator(s): entertainment and to profit.
  • Description of users of technology: prisoners, male and female.
  • Type(s) of presence experience in the portrayal: spatial_presence
  • Description of presence experience: Just like regular prison, lonely. However, once she determines how to create her own virutal world, not as confining.
  • User awareness of technology during experience: yes
  • Valence of experience: typically, they find solitary confinemnt a horrific experience.
  • Specific responses: Users experience aftershocks, where they are virtually transported back to their cell for up to a week.
Long-term consequences:

The consequences are good, programs will be created to monitor and help users, more will be learned about virtual world.

Other:

Coder name: Amanda Scheiner
Coder email: amandags@temple.edu
Coder affiliation: Temple University