Foundations
First contact gone wrong. Humanity judged and found wanting. Unlimited power up for grab.
The Galactic Consensus arrived on ships as large as skyscrapers, crafted from glittering alloys that no human scientist could even begin to understand. They followed the trail of century old television transmissions to welcome us into the galactic community… only to recoil in horror at what they found.
They concluded that humans were unfit to be trusted with the advanced technologies that member-states of the Consensus freely traded with each other, installing a relay to warn other ships that we were under embargo, but more importantly, allowing humans entrance into the Tower of Somnus, a multiplayer game of sorts that could be played in one’s sleep. The hope was that humanity would learn proper behavior from playing the game with our more civilized neighbors.
Katherine ‘Kat’ Debs, a hereditary employee of one of the megacorporations that ruled the world, eked out a meager existence in a massive arcology of glittering glass and chrome. She dreamt of one day earning enough money to buy her freedom, and was more than willing to break a law here or there in the process. When she is offered an opportunity to enter the Tower of Somnus free of corporate control, she jumps at the chance. After all, the 'game' was more than just a status symbol, players retained the fantastic powers they earned in the game in the waking world as well.
A perfect opportunity to take control of her destiny, or die trying.
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Cale Plamann
In the quiet town of Neenah, Wisconsin—surrounded more by fields than fast Wi-Fi—Cale Plamann grew up building worlds before he ever wrote them down. With limited access to the internet, his adventures took shape not online, but through paper, dice, and imagination. Tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons and Star Wars d20 became the foundation for stories he’d later transform into immersive LitRPG sagas.
What sets Plamann apart in the genre isn’t just his grasp of game mechanics—it’s his ability to make those systems feel lived-in, emotional, and deeply human, even when his characters are anything but. Whether readers are venturing through the dream-warped layers of Tower of Somnus, navigating the divine timelines of Blessed Time, or wrestling with the raw, monster-eat-man reality of A Dream of Wings & Flame, they’re stepping into stories that challenge what LitRPG can be.
Tower of Somnus
Tower of Somnus is a series that invites readers to question the very nature of reality, blending cyberpunk intrigue with high-stakes virtual worlds and thought-provoking dystopian themes. In a future where society is controlled by oppressive corporations, the lines between the virtual and physical blur, creating a landscape ripe for rebellion and self-discovery.
Tower of Somnus consists of five books and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
