What could go wrong?

Hello. My name is John Stevens, and I’m an aspiring author.

Someone asked me why I want to be an author. Well, Kurt Vonnegut’s novel, Player Piano, gave me the idea that a speculative fiction writer should address the question, “What could go wrong?”

So, that’s why I write and post stories about virtual reality and sex robots.

Now, virtual reality can help burn victims by making them think they’re in Antarctica. Imagine that. Some therapists use virtual reality as a tool to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, autism and fear of flying. Sex robots might help us address such problems as sex trafficking and sexually transmitted diseases.

I have a pretty good idea of what could go wrong with these technologies - especially if they’re used together - because I grew up watching too much TV. Then, after I got over a TV show called Love, American Style, free internet pornography came along just in time for my midlife crisis.

To read about how I imagine a future with virtual reality and sex robots, please download my long short story, Retro VR, or read my short story, Real Human Blood. I’ve included links in this post and on my Twitter profile. Retro VR is my entry in a writing contest. The more it’s downloaded, the better chance I have of winning. So, I’d appreciate it if you would share the story on social media, too. Or, share this video.

Thank you.

Retro VR

You do not have to register to read the story.

If you follow the link, you'll see a synopsis of the story. Look to the right of the screen. You should see a DOWNLOADS OPTIONS menu. I prefer PDF, but READ ONLINE works just as well. You can download it to a Kindle or ereader.

Retro VR

Real Human Blood

We've always wanted to escape reality

This link is to my entry in Freeditorial's Long Short Story Contest:

http://freeditorial.com/en/books/retro-vr

It's a near future science fiction story about a guy who gets recruited to beta test a system that uses virtual reality with lifelike sex robots for a fully immersive experience. A dream about his grade school sweetheart disrupts his plans.

You do not have to register to read the story.

If you follow the link, you'll see a synopsis of the story. Look to the right of the screen. You should see a DOWNLOADS OPTIONS menu. I prefer PDF, but READ ONLINE works just as well. You can download it to a Kindle or ereader.

If you like the story, feel free to share it.

Working on the Sequel

I’ve made progress on the sequel to Retro VR. I haven’t decided on a title, yet. I call it a sequel, but it feels like I’m writing a better ending. Anyway, I have the structure of the story the way I want it, so I just have to fill in the details.

Eventually, I would like to combine Retro VR with its sequel into a full-length novel. I have also scratched out a few lines of a hybrid live theatre/virtual reality play. The members of an audience of a play would receive a VR headset with their ticket. They see on the headset what the actors on the stage describe.

Retro VR questions whether virtual reality - combined with advanced sex robots - could alleviate social problems such as sex trafficking. I imagine that it would have unintended consequences of its own, such as the further dehumanization of sexual relationships.

I’m not ready to start a Kickstarter campaign yet. Freeditorial currently holds the rights to Retro VR. If you want to help me toward my goals of producing a novel or a hybrid play, please download Retro VR. The story is my entry in Freeditorial’s Long Short Story Contest. The winner will be determined by writing quality and the number of times each story is downloaded. I’m shooting for the First Place prize of $15,000. The prize money would help me get more work done.

You do not have to register to read the story.

If you follow the link, you'll see a synopsis of the story. Look to the right of the screen. You should see a DOWNLOADS OPTIONS menu. I prefer PDF, but READ ONLINE works just as well. You can download it to a Kindle or ereader.

If you enjoy Retro VR, please share it on Twitter or Facebook.

Thank you.