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 and its virtual reality network have to be policed by the Net Force to prevent computer-terrorists from sabotaging it. Sometimes they need help, which is where the Net Force Explorers come in; they are the young people's auxiliary for computer whiz-kids who have made it through a tough training program. These include Maj (Madeline) Green, David Gray, Matt Hunter, Mark Gridley, Leif Anderson, Megan O'Malley, Catie, and Charlie. They are led by the kindly, ex-marine commander, Captain James Winters, who has secrets of his own. Together, and separately, these young people solve cyber-crimes and defeat international terrorists while creating virtual worlds, playing high-tech computer games, and even entering a race.

Though the emphasis of the series is on the Internet, and its virtual world, there are occasional glimpses into the future of the world in general. In one novel, there is a reference to a spy from "flat-films" and his assistant who used to make gadgets for him, probably a reference to James Bond/Q. 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 seems like a future version of Star Trek, though it has a different name.

[edit] Net Force Explorer Novels

  1. Virtual Vandals
  2. The Deadliest Game
  3. One is the Loneliest Number
  4. The Ultimate Escape
  5. End Game
  6. Cyberspy
  7. The Great Race
  8. Shadow of Honor
  9. Private Lives
  10. Safe House
  11. Game Prey
  12. Duel Identity
  13. Deathworld
  14. High Wire
  15. Cold Case
  16. Runaway(novel)
  17. Cloak and Dagger
  18. 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 blow. The seat which Leif seemed to occupy was actually empty, the space filled with a monogram. Leif was actually sitting in his parents' apartment in NYC, no doubt sprawled in a very non-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