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Sci-fi short story about gamer who defeats his rival by revealing her disfigured face

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12

4

I read a short years ago (somewhere between 2007 and 2013). I want to say it was in one of the Year's Best Science Fiction anthologies, between 2003 and 2013, but all I can remember is that I found it in a library in either high school or college. I just read Swanwick and Gibson's "Dogfight" and this old memory forced its way to the front of my brain.

A guy, either teenaged or young adult, is trying to beat someone in this popular game. It's either a VR fight or they're remotely piloting special robots. The guy gets more and more consumed with trying to beat his rival, who maybe has a nickname like Medusa or Gorgon and makes a big deal out of never showing their face.

He keeps getting better at the game as he keeps trying to beat the rival, who clearly enjoys the challenge. It's a full obsession to win at any cost and it eventually leads him to discover his opponent is a woman with scars or burns on her face that she's very self-conscious of.

He finally tries to beat her by hacking her webcam and broadcasting her real face to the audience. She had pretty much fallen in love with him by that point and felt a little betrayed.

I remember really liking how the gambits and tactics are described as the two gamers try to trick and outmaneuver each other. I think the nature of the final fight was something like two robot bodies on search-and-destroy, trying to find and then get a good firing angle on each other.

I also liked how the woman is shown falling for the guy, because she thinks he appreciates her as a worthy opponent and wouldn't care if he knew she was scarred. But then he goes ahead and cheats by trying to distract or humiliate her, because his whole identity is wrapped up in this game and he needs to win.

story-identification short-stories

share|improve this question

edited 10 mins ago

Stormblessed

2,3951938

asked Dec 29 '17 at 17:02

Mindworm victimMindworm victim

613

This question has an open bounty worth +50
reputation from Stormblessed ending in 7 days.

This question has not received enough attention.

Sounds like a cool story, I want to get it more attention as not that many people have seen the question.

• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Welcome to the site. You have a good start here. If you could take a look at this guide to help jog your memory and edit in any more details you can remember, that would be great. Every little bit helps us.
  
  – amflare
  Dec 29 '17 at 17:06
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  That was a useful guide, thank you.
  
  – Mindworm victim
  Dec 29 '17 at 17:29
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

12

4

I read a short years ago (somewhere between 2007 and 2013). I want to say it was in one of the Year's Best Science Fiction anthologies, between 2003 and 2013, but all I can remember is that I found it in a library in either high school or college. I just read Swanwick and Gibson's "Dogfight" and this old memory forced its way to the front of my brain.

A guy, either teenaged or young adult, is trying to beat someone in this popular game. It's either a VR fight or they're remotely piloting special robots. The guy gets more and more consumed with trying to beat his rival, who maybe has a nickname like Medusa or Gorgon and makes a big deal out of never showing their face.

He keeps getting better at the game as he keeps trying to beat the rival, who clearly enjoys the challenge. It's a full obsession to win at any cost and it eventually leads him to discover his opponent is a woman with scars or burns on her face that she's very self-conscious of.

He finally tries to beat her by hacking her webcam and broadcasting her real face to the audience. She had pretty much fallen in love with him by that point and felt a little betrayed.

I remember really liking how the gambits and tactics are described as the two gamers try to trick and outmaneuver each other. I think the nature of the final fight was something like two robot bodies on search-and-destroy, trying to find and then get a good firing angle on each other.

I also liked how the woman is shown falling for the guy, because she thinks he appreciates her as a worthy opponent and wouldn't care if he knew she was scarred. But then he goes ahead and cheats by trying to distract or humiliate her, because his whole identity is wrapped up in this game and he needs to win.

story-identification short-stories

share|improve this question

edited 10 mins ago

Stormblessed

2,3951938

asked Dec 29 '17 at 17:02

Mindworm victimMindworm victim

613

This question has an open bounty worth +50
reputation from Stormblessed ending in 7 days.

This question has not received enough attention.

Sounds like a cool story, I want to get it more attention as not that many people have seen the question.

• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Welcome to the site. You have a good start here. If you could take a look at this guide to help jog your memory and edit in any more details you can remember, that would be great. Every little bit helps us.
  
  – amflare
  Dec 29 '17 at 17:06
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  That was a useful guide, thank you.
  
  – Mindworm victim
  Dec 29 '17 at 17:29
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

I read a short years ago (somewhere between 2007 and 2013). I want to say it was in one of the Year's Best Science Fiction anthologies, between 2003 and 2013, but all I can remember is that I found it in a library in either high school or college. I just read Swanwick and Gibson's "Dogfight" and this old memory forced its way to the front of my brain.

A guy, either teenaged or young adult, is trying to beat someone in this popular game. It's either a VR fight or they're remotely piloting special robots. The guy gets more and more consumed with trying to beat his rival, who maybe has a nickname like Medusa or Gorgon and makes a big deal out of never showing their face.

He keeps getting better at the game as he keeps trying to beat the rival, who clearly enjoys the challenge. It's a full obsession to win at any cost and it eventually leads him to discover his opponent is a woman with scars or burns on her face that she's very self-conscious of.

He finally tries to beat her by hacking her webcam and broadcasting her real face to the audience. She had pretty much fallen in love with him by that point and felt a little betrayed.

I remember really liking how the gambits and tactics are described as the two gamers try to trick and outmaneuver each other. I think the nature of the final fight was something like two robot bodies on search-and-destroy, trying to find and then get a good firing angle on each other.

I also liked how the woman is shown falling for the guy, because she thinks he appreciates her as a worthy opponent and wouldn't care if he knew she was scarred. But then he goes ahead and cheats by trying to distract or humiliate her, because his whole identity is wrapped up in this game and he needs to win.

story-identification short-stories

share|improve this question

edited 10 mins ago

Stormblessed

2,3951938

asked Dec 29 '17 at 17:02

Mindworm victimMindworm victim

613

share|improve this question

edited 10 mins ago

Stormblessed

2,3951938

asked Dec 29 '17 at 17:02

Mindworm victimMindworm victim

613

share|improve this question

edited 10 mins ago

Stormblessed

2,3951938

asked Dec 29 '17 at 17:02

Mindworm victimMindworm victim

613

edited 10 mins ago

Stormblessed

2,3951938

edited 10 mins ago

Stormblessed

2,3951938

asked Dec 29 '17 at 17:02

Mindworm victimMindworm victim

613

asked Dec 29 '17 at 17:02

Mindworm victimMindworm victim

613