This is an older and lesser know sci-fi title. This novel inspired the 1999 film "The Thirteenth Floor." While the writing style and pace and be a bit jarring at first, it is a very good novel. Originally published in 1964, it's one of the first novels to anticipate virtual reality, and does an excellent job describing what that might look like.
As the novel progresses, it turns into a classic Philip K. Dick style mindfuck, which I obviously enjoy. It's full of philosophical overtones, some that are subtle and some which are not. This is certainly an idea story, so don't read it for light entertainment. It will make you think, and it will mess with your mind. And if you think about it too much, you just might start questioning your own existence.
The central theme that is explored is whether or not we can know we live in a virtual reality simulation. This isn't a new idea (at least not in western philosophy), but it's probably an idea not pondered by regular people (that is, non-philosophers). Seeing this theme in science fiction is always enjoyable and it's a nice way to distill a complex philosophical problem into a format regular people can understand.
Many of the characters struck me as a bit flat, however. This isn't necessarily a huge problem, since the ideas in the story take center stage. It would have been nice, however, to see more character development. Seeing stronger characters would have made me empathize with their struggle to discern material reality from virtual reality.
Overall, I would recommend the book. Be warned, however, that given the style of writing, it can be a bit hard to follow at times.
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