We all play games, and TQM's Civilization Game is the best we are going to get. After all, its nothing but the play of energy across space and time. Or, as was put in the book, its nothing.

http://she-who-chatters.blogspot.com/2009/11/quantum-mechanic-prologue.html

I am on Chapter 10 and will probably finish reading it online before purchasing a hard copy.

Anyway, I'm gonna be up all night reading this, thanks for sharing! (Favorite line so far: "We play long games. This is mine.")

Not that I'm complaining - it's interesting to see how different people have different takes on the same basic story.

What occurs to me though is that while it would be relatively easy to prevent harm of somebody trying to punch another person, what about preventing emotional abuse through constant cruel and cutting words? Not all abusive spouses control with their fists? Another sort of harm is having an oil come into a country with limited government, give money to the right people and then exploiting an oil reserve, even at befouls the environment and starts harming the health of local people. Would Douglas prevent the oil company from landing in the first place? Would he reverse the environmental damage?

Definitely will check it out.

@ Jim Baerg (#3): OK, so it wasn't a question, but thanks for recommending The Salvation War! Interestingly enough, checking out the page for it on TVtropes took me on a wiki walk that ended up at the entry on "wiki walk" some six hours later (I'd never heard the term before).

@ Reginald Selkirk (#5), Jormungund (#7), & Zietlos (#10): You have to remember here that Ebonmuse is a compatibilist, and he thinks that man is free as an undammed river is free (whereas I, a determinist, think that an undammed river simply is not free).

SPOILER ALERT! At any rate, what this means (as I explain briefly at the start of Chapter 6 [online]/Chapter 7 [paperback]) is that the Quantum Mechanic simply "gets in the way" of any harm that would befall a person. You can still go through whatever motions you like, but the God/King/Hero simply sees to it that no harm comes of it, The End. END SPOILERS.

Steve Bowen explains the philosophical aspect of it rather handily as applies to the bullshit answers handed out by theodicies galore, but the point is that the Quantum Mechanic wants humanity to go about its business; he simply sees to it that nobody gets hurt in the process.

@ Lenoxus (#6): Oh, there's conflict and corruption. I think you'll like where it goes, you've got it partly right and partly wrong. If you do read it, then I really hope you like it! (Not just 'cuz I wrote it, but because I think it would defy your expectations in interesting ways, and satisfy them in other interesting ways.)

At any rate, some of these comments are already giving me fuel for another book, something from the opposite angle and with a psychological bent rather than a philosophical one. Although maybe such a thing would be a bit too weird, I dunno... But thanks to everyone who gave me a suggestion or encouragement during November, and double-thanks to everyone who's bought a copy!