You don't have to spend money to help me.

Okay, so here's my deal:

I'm asking you to help me get some money. It won't cost you any money, though.

I entered a story in a writing contest: http://freeditorial.com/en/books/retro-vr

The sponsor of the story is offering cash prizes. First, second and third place in the contest will be mostly determined by how many times each entry is downloaded. Writing quality will come in if it's close.

You can help me win the contest by downloading the story. You do not have to register for anything to download it. The message you see about registering is for those who want to enter one of the writing contests.

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.

I got the idea for the story when I read a New York Times article last year about a guy making sex robots. This paragraph caught my attention:

"One of the challenges that Mr. McMullen will have to contend with is the so-called uncanny valley. It is a concept first written about in 1970 by a Japanese researcher, that says people’s responses to robots will shift sharply from empathy to revulsion the more closely the robots resemble humans. In other words, something robotic that looks alive, but is not completely convincing, will creep people out." ("Sex Dolls That Talk Back," Emma Cott, The New York Times, June 11, 2015)

I felt compelled to write the story, and used Matthew 19:8 as its nucleus:

"He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives, but from the beginning it was not so."

Please share the story, or share this link, so that others can have a chance to download it.

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