Virtual Reality Fantasy

The author of The Internet of Things presents his latest book.

Everything is possible. Everything except survival. Four individuals share an impossible ability. They can accomplish anything they fear or imagine. Everything appears theirs for the taking, except their world isn't real. They live only in the mind of a coma patient. If he wakes up, will they die?

Mark is a reclusive dominant who confines his sexual interests strictly to the online world. On his routine afternoon ferry ride, he meets a woman who rouses the master in him, and the line snaps between the virtual and real worlds. She begs for him to take her over, and bring them both fulfillment and healing. He wants to refuse her but he finds himself agreeing to spend one day with her. It is a mistake, because the anger he holds inside is fully capable of destroying a soul as rare and beautiful as Nicole's. But no master, not even one as strong and disciplined as Mark, can resist the offer of a submissive who wants only one thing - to be his forever.

Andy Tremain has a terrifying ability. Using virtual reality, he can create monsters from his unconscious mind. And he's obsessed with dinosaurs. A psychiatrist in the United States promises a cure, but when Andy and his brother and sister realise they are prisoners rather than guests in Dr Kaplan's luxurious desert complex, Andy's dream becomes a nightmare. When his powers change and reality itself begins to shift and tear, Andy is so dangerous that society clearly cannot afford to let him live.

Louis Parker is the divorced father of two teenagers who is still trying to find his life's purpose. After losing his job, Louie' financial situation convinces him he has nothing to lose if he agrees to test out a radical new virtual reality video game for a substantial fee. But Louie quickly learns that virtual reality is a lot more complicated than he realized. By the end of his seven days, is Louie trapped in virtual reality forever? If he is able to return to his own reality, is it the same one he started from, or has it immeasurably changed.

Experiencing time travel is just a paper-fold away for Mike the insurance salesman. The problem is, he never knows which “where-when” reality he’ll experience. Being crucified, or being gassed at Auschwitz, or marooned in space in a Russian capsule. The bigger problem is, that he cannot control when he gets back to normal reality if there is such thing as normal reality.