Gwyneth Jones' "Cheats" (as by Ann Halam) (short story, computer games)

A cocktail of many themes, some of them the kind I avoid: description of a multi-player online game played via an immersive virtual reality interface, probably with direct plug into brain; mind dump; rebuilding a body out of this mind dump; & instantaneous "real" star travel while in this digital state! Sort of, combine Poul Anderson's "Call Me Joe", Clifford D Simak's "Desertion" with Gibson's "Neuromancer" & probably Algis Budrys' "Rogue Moon", & plus other stories.
Note: I've not read "Rogue Moon" but its descriptions talk of duplicating a human body, with a copy on moon.

Two kids playing the game get digitized by already digitized volunteers, end up traveling with them to a far off world, & getting duplicate bodies on this far off world!

Collected in.

1. David Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer (Ed)'s "Year's Best SF 14" (2009).

Fact sheet.

First published: Jonathan Strahan (Ed)'s The Starry Rift (2008).
Rating: C.