B. Morris Allen

I read David Brin's "[b:Reality Check|12332819|Reality Check|David Brin|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1354033396s/12332819.jpg|17311878]" right before Eric Liu's "[b:Re: union|12102228|Re union (Free Science Fiction eBook Short Story)|Eric Liu|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339176280s/12102228.jpg|15277681] ". They both deal in ways with human transcendence to a virtual reality, a topic that even in 2000, when Brin's story was published, was not really innovative. Liu, in a longer story, does much the better job of humanizing the topic and the personal choices it raises. Brin's story, by contrast, is a more intellectual exercise that ends up being mildly interesting, but not exactly gripping.

I got them both for free, and they're a decent read at that price, if you're a fan of the author. If not, neither of these stories will convert you, though Liu's story might tempt you to more.