Net Force Explorers
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Net Force Explorers is a series of Young Adult novels by Tom Clancy, and Steve Pieczenik.
In the year 2025 the Internet practically runs the world, and its virtual reality webwork has to be policed by the Net Force to prevent computer-terrorists from sabotaging it. But sometimes they need help. Which is where the Net Force Explorers come in, the young peoples auxiliary for computer whizz-kids who have made it through a tough training programme.
These include Maj (Madeline) Green, David Grey, Matt Hunter, Mark Gridley, Leif Anderson, Megan O'Malley, Catie, and (less frequently) Charlie. They are led by the kindly, ex-marine commander, Captain James Winters, who may have secrets of his own.
Together, and separately, these kids solve cyber-crimes and defeat international terrorists while creating virtual worlds, playing high-tech computer games, and even entering a Sci-Fi race.
Though the emphasis of the series is on the internet, and it's Virtual World, there are occasional glimpses into the future of the world in general. Such as in one novel, there is a reference to a spy from "flat-films" and his assistant who used to make gadgets for him. An obvious James Bond/Q reference. The novel states that when the scientist character died, he was replaced with a hologram version of himself. This supposedly happens in the future of Bond movies.
In another novel, the characters are involved with a TV-Series that seem suspiciously like a future version of Star Trek, though it has a different name.
[edit] Net Force Explorer Novels
- Virtual Vandals
- The Deadliest Game
- One is the Loneliest Number
- The Ultimate Escape
- End Game
- Cyberspy
- The Great Race
- Shadow of Honor
- Private Lives
- Safe House
- Gameprey
- Duel Identity
- Deathworld
- High Wire
- Cold Case
- Runaways
- Cloak and Dagger
- Death Match (in the UK released in 2002 as "Own Goal")
[edit] Virtual Reality...
Almost the entire story of each book is set in "Cyber-Space," and personal Virtual Reality systems called, "Veeyars." A good introduction to the system comes from these abridged opening pages of the first book, "Virtual Vandals"
"The April sky was a bright, cloudless blue, marked only by the thin white contrails of an aerospace plane's jet engines. Matt Hunter squinted his brown eyes, staring up from the Camden Yards stadium.
An elbow in his ribs brought his thoughts back to earth. "Nice job on these seats, genius," Andy Moore complained.
"You'd think that after renovating this place, they'd put some comfortable padding out here," David Grey added.
Leif Anderson stretched back in his seat. "It's comfortable enough from where I'm sitting."
Matt gave his friend a look. The seat which Leif seemed to occupy was actually empty, the space filled with a hologram. Leif was actually sitting in his parents' apartment in New York City, no doubt sprawled in a very expensive Computer-Link chair. Implants beneath his skin connected him to the World Net, allowing his image to be seen here in Baltimore, while he experienced everything that was happening nearly 200 miles away."
- Taken from Virtual Vandals, by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik
