The Restoration Game
The Restoration Game is a science fiction and techno-thriller novel authored by Ken MacLeod, published in 2010.
The story centers on Lucy Stone, a computer programmer who was raised in the imaginary Caucasian Soviet state of Krassnia. By 2008, she is employed at a video game company located in Edinburgh. When Stone's mother, a former CIA agent, hires her firm to create an MMORPG inspired by Krassnian legends, Lucy finds herself drawn into the political dynamics of the region as well as her own familial background.
Although the narrative is set in 2008, the original plan was for it to occur in the near future; however, the outbreak of the 2008 South Ossetia war prompted a shift in this timeline.
The novel has received mostly favorable reviews. James Lovegrove of the Financial Times commended its insightful portrayal of political and family manipulation alongside its thoughtful examination of what constitutes reality. Additionally, the work earned a nomination for the Prometheus Award.