The Sensory Deception

by Ransom Stephens

"I can't believe I ate a seal. And really enjoyed it."
Moments after venture capitalist Gloria Baradaran experiences what it's like to be a polar bear--really be a polar bear--she knows she's found something revolutionary. Farley Rutherford and his team--migraine-tortured neurologist Chopper Vittori and uber-geek engineer Ringo Hayes--have created sensory saturation, a virtual reality system that drops users into the psyches of endangered animals as they fight for survival, and they believe the profound experience could turn the indifferent masses into avid environmentalists. Ringo's hardware is ready to go, but the pressures to get the system off the ground are immense. The money-men want more bang for their buck, and that includes bigger, more dangerous animals, and--more than anything--the ability to turn the machines into profitable games. But to Farley and his team, this is anything but a game. To some, in fact, this is a cause they'd kill for...
The Sensory Deception is a mind-blowing, globe-trotting ride that will take readers from cut-throat Silicon Valley boardrooms to the pirate ships off the Somali coast to the devastated rain forests of the Amazon all to ask the question: What is a human life worth compared to that of an entire planet?

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Ebooks, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Audiobook, Adventure

428 pages, Paperback

First published August 6, 2013

About the author

Author, speaker, and physicist, Ransom Stephens writes fantasy, science fiction, and popular science. His high concept fiction puts characters that make you laugh and cry at the center of conflict.

His latest, The Book of Bastards, is a rollicking, bawdy fantasy of chivalry and revenge. It comes out on January 14, 2020 and the e-book is being sold for $0.99 only as pre-order, on the launch date it goes to full retail!

In Too Rich to Die and The 99% Solution, three keyboard-wielding musketeers take you around the world on thrill rides that will leave you questioning centuries of world history; The Sensory Deception is a story of environmentalism and idealism gone wrong; and his first novel, The God Patent, is a perspective-altering story of science and religion.

His popular science book, The Left Brain Speaks The Right Brain Laughs: a look at the neuroscience of innovation & creativity, is an irreverent take on how our brains work and how we can work them better.

If you've read one of Ransom's books, please post a review at your favorite book site, like this one. Whether a sentence or an essay, he'll appreciate the boost as much as the advice.

You can follow Ransom’s Rants on writing, science, politics, and beer at all the usually places, plus if you'd liked to receive the famous*, life-changing* Ransom’s Notes--in which he provides amusement* and insights* into how* and why* we live, in addition to updates on his latest books (and get a free e-copy of one of his novels!)--hie thee to
https://subscribe.ransomstephens.com (cut and paste the link).

Ransom is represented by Laurie McLean, Founding Partner of the Fuse Literary agency.

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Reviews

[Eero · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is an oft-used TV trope of starting an episode with a teaser from the last scene where one of the series regular characters is about to murder another. The viewer is glued to the screen for the next 40 minutes: what could have led to this situation? How will they get out of it? Or will they?

This novel opens with such a teaser where a woman named Gloria, with camera equipment strapped to her, is being threatened at gunpoint by a man called Chopper while the world around them is on fire. Although the reader hasn't really been introduced to these characters at this point, it is riveting enough, and we spend over 80 % of the book to get back to that scene.

Briefly, the story deals with a tech startup building a new kind of virtual reality where people can live for a while in the skin of wild animals, and experience the world as they do. The ultimate goal is to create environmental awareness through these immersive experiences. One of the apps requires attaching an array of sensors to a sperm whale, which leads to adventure and danger in lawless Somalia. The final showdown occurs in the Amazon rainforest which is being burned down.

I went in expecting a science fiction novel, and this book does have a large helping of science and some gratuituous infodumps (which I happen to like). Yet it is too grounded in contemporary reality to be called science fiction. If "ecotechnotriller" is a genre, this novel is such an animal. The closest thing to it I have read would be Neal Stephenson's REAMDE. (Also maybe Zodiac for the ecological themes.)

Contemporary reality is in fact so science-fictional in itself that I tend to wonder whether hard science fiction as a genre has any traction these days. It seems that the SF genre has been taken over by a kind of nostalgic techno-fantasy, which culminates in things like steampunk or retroish space opera (and of course the trendy and ubiquitous dystopias). Recently I subscribed to the Kindle version of Analog magazine for a while, and got the feeling that the magazine was caught in a kind of stasis field: many of the stories felt old, like the changes in the external world had not entered the bubble. Maybe the way forward for science fiction is the technothriller.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The novel starts off in media res, already alerting the reader that something shocking is occurring, with anxiety being generated on two different fronts. In a way, this is a shame, because I feel this novel would have been better off simply proceeding from the beginning of the story and gradually building the tension from there. As it is, the author lets us know right from the start that there are people in peril, one of the characters is a smoldering sociopath and the other is imprisoned with other hostages.

So, the surprise being dispensed with, we are left to focus on the nuts and bolts of this story. It deals with an intriguing premise, one so obvious you wonder why no one else has thought about it before now (which means we’ll probably be seeing this very innovation ten years down the line). The novel works as more than a story about an original invention, however. Then it would be merely well-written science fiction. The Sensory Deception aims higher than that, as it forces the reader to ponder the meaning of human life and the heavy responsibility we all bear to the world in which we live.

But a really great story hinges on the personalities of the characters and this book delivers. The personalities of everybody involved with bringing sensory saturation to the public are so vibrant you feel as if you could bump into them on the street. Since this revolutionary device means different things to different people, the reader gets the sense that he or she is viewing this through a multi-faceted lens, one that leads to a coherent picture without ever entirely divulging the whole.

[T.W. Fendley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Juraissic Park for virtual reality--This has a blend of action and science that reminds me of Juraissic Park. Well intentioned scientists run amok when they take their virtual reality product "real-world."

It's a fast-paced read. I was glad to have it on Whispersync and enjoyed not having to wait for the next chapter while I was commuting.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot is pretty much amazing and really makes you think. What if you were in their shoes? It really makes you question who you are, your morals etc. Overall, great book and would highly recommend to anyone actually.


*Won from Goodreads Giveaway*

[Connie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found I could not relate to the story line or the characters, so I didn't want to continue reading it. Other books were calling me!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sensory Deception starts off in media res following a woman named Gloria running from an armed attacker in the middle of a burning jungle. Now knowing approximately how the novel is going to end, the reader can settle into 'how do we get there?'

The main part of this story follows a venture investor working with a virtual reality startup. While there are some scifi elements, the vast majority of the tension of this story revolves around arguing over what - if anything - the venture should compromise on to get their product to market. The one who's really holding the startup together - the main character and love interest for Gloria, a man by the name of Farley - is an environmentalist who really wants to use the VR tech to let people literally experience the lives of endangered animals. The venture investing company that Gloria works for doesn't think that will sell and wants the startup to go "less National Geographic, more Disneyland." The neuroscientist for the startup - Romeo, but more commonly known by the nickname Chopper - is very opposed to the that plan, though the rest of the startup members and Gloria do not know the extent of his hatred for that plans or the lengths he intends to go to to avoid having to make more mainstream VR experiences. When a film in Africa goes wrong and Farley is reported as dead, Chopper - who, before this, had merely been low-key creepy and very opposed creating non-nature VR experiences - goes completely and violently off the rails.

While a really good book overall, The Sensory Deception has some issues. Throughout the story, Chopper has some kind of poorly defined mental health issue that reads sometimes - but is specified to not be - telepathy. It's both really weird and inconsistent in its depiction/use throughout the story. Also, despite being labelled as science fiction, The Sensory Deception is really not scifi. The VR folds in some scifi elements, but they are neither front and center nor key pieces of the actual plot. With the exception of a few events, most of the plot revolves around the startup, its business decisions, and how certain characters react to those decisions, making it read more like contemporary fiction with some elements of a thriller. Other than those relatively minor gripes, The Sensory Deception is a really good book and I'm not unhappy to have spent my time reading it.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can honestly say that this is one of the best books I've read in my entire life. It forced me to feel so many different emotions, and as soon as I finished reading it I started crying. It's been several hours, and I still can't stop thinking about it.

So many sci fi and fantasy books force the reader to suspend disbelief in order to enjoy the story; not so with The Sensory Deception. The entire time I was reading it, I kept thinking about how much research the author must have done before writing it. Now that I've finished and looked Ransom Stephens up, I am not at all surprised to have learned that he is a scientist. The way he describes the whole VR process is phenomenal. He even explains the science of the brain behind it, making me feel like VirtExArts' technology could really happen. The story is so believable.

As an animal lover reading this book, I was traumatized at times and wishing for change in the world without ever having had to enter a VR chamber. Stephens was able to accomplish his characters' goals without drugging the audience or creating the sensory saturation technology in the real world.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book which got more intense as the reader progresses through the plot. This takes us into cutthroat world of Silicon Valley in the competition of the virtual reality world. The focus is on sensory experiences from the perspective of endangered species--another cutthroat world of environmentalists and poachers. This is as good as a Michael Crichton or Lee Child action filled thriller and the last chapter will have you on the edge of your seat!

[Clarkjulier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chilling Twist, Captivating read

I enjoyed this book almost as much as I did God Patent. This read is definitely more mind chilling as opposed to the heart twisting end of God Patent.

[Alejandro Meza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

It was a good read. Read it if you’re into keeping you at the edge of your seat at times.

[Gary Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great twists. A good thinking novel.

[Suz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Sensory Deception is comprised of a unique combination of novel technology, capitalism, environmentalism, political intrigue, and adventure. Ransom Stephens mashed all those ingredients together, whipped them up, cooked them slowly, and ended up making a delicious entree for readers to gleefully consume.

That being said, the novel is far from perfect, but let me start with the good points.

Virtual reality is right around the corner, with the Oculus Rift and Sony's Project Morpheus consumer versions estimated release in Q1 2016. With the VR hype currently at a maximum, now is a perfect time for a speculative book on the technical possibilities of virtual reality. This book takes our current virtual reality technology and takes it one step further with the idea of sensory saturation - using sound (such as binaural beats), touch, and smell to overload the senses to the point where pure reflex takes over. In the book, accomplishing sensory saturation places the VR user in a state enabling full immersion in the simulation. Sensory saturation, also known as sensory overload, is a real phenomenon, but usually manifests in symptoms such as irritability, overexcitement, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, etc. The idea to utilize this phenomenon as a method to achieve full immersion in VR is a novel one, and one that many readers may appreciate, but may not be feasible in reality.

The author was able to mesh together many different genres in a coherent way, which was a great accomplishment. Utilizing virtual reality to convey the importance of environmental issues to the masses was ingenious.

I did, however, have a few gripes with the book.

The virtual reality programs were created using data captured from wild animals in their natural environment. For example, sensors on a sperm whale captured sound, sonar, video, depth, and temperature fluctuations. Obviously, the thoughts of said animal could not have been determined merely through data. Yet, when a venture capitalist, having no knowledge about whales or the environment, was immersed into the whale VR experience, he had thoughts that were clearly not his own. For example, the knowledge of what whaling ships looked like a hundred years ago. The fluctuation of sperm whale population over the last hundred or so years. A VR program using sensory saturation immersion would not be able to control thought or impart knowledge the user never had.

My other main issue was the novel's structure. The first two chapters were flash forwards (or alternatively, the remainder of the book was a flash back). Admittedly, I am not the biggest fan of starting a book with a flash forward. Although it does add some tension as we wait for the action to commence, wondering how the plot leads us to that pivotal moment, it also functions as a massive spoiler. Constantly wondering when that moment would happen lessened my enjoyment of everything leading up to that scene. I would have enjoyed the book more if it had not started with that flash forward. To further separate the flash forward from the past, the author switches between present and past tenses. Although I can understand why this was done, having to adjust between the two tenses pulled me out of the novel a bit. It was an unnecessary distraction.

Overall, I'm torn about how to rate this novel. For the plot, the seamless meshing of genres, and the unique technology, I'd rate the book at least four stars. However, I have a difficult time getting by the occasional plot hole and the structure of the book, for which I'd give it 3 stars. So why did I rate it three stars? The characterization. I never truly cared about any of the people in the book. Romance between various characters often felt forced. The strange, almost psychic bond between Farley and Chopper, although eventually explained, still came off as unnatural, especially toward the end of the novel.

Overall, 3.5 stars (if I could...but I can't, so 3 stars) but still recommended.

[Don Maker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The true purpose of literature, regardless of genre, is to express the human condition and give an opinion on our behavior. “The Sensory Deception” is not what I would call “hard-core” sci-fi, which is to say a lot of cutting-edge or futuristic science that drives a story. However, I would certainly say that it meets my criteria for literature.
The main sci-fi in this story is “virtual reality”, which is fairly old. In fact, I wrote a novel 15 years ago describing pretty much the same thing, only without the more recent whiz-bang stuff Stephens describes. Being a scientist, he explains the hardware and software a lot better than I did. The equipment used to record the required data is pretty much what is used for special effects in a lot of movies. From that standpoint, it’s only mildly interesting. One of the subplots is the venture capital world of Silicon Valley, which Stephens depicts very accurately, and somewhat sympathetically.
However, this book is actually about full-on, militant environmentalism. While the beginning is somewhat slow, the book becomes a techno-thriller to some extent. Although I have a background in engineering/construction management, the strong bias toward protecting the earth’s ecology was very appealing to me. To some extent, Stephens even made a case for some of the “piracy” that goes on in Somalia, in the sense that he depicts how the local politics and interference of the developed nations forced the natives out of their traditional industries and into desperate measures. However, the main focus is on how the rain forest is being systematically and maliciously destroyed, which is decimating our natural resources and our atmosphere. Other ecological themes are explored.
Okay, on to writing. Stephens’ forte is the typical short, punchy action style popular in the genre. He does it well, so the pacing is good. Most of the characters are complex enough to be really interesting, although the male and female leads are pretty much stereotypes of the beautiful, heroic protagonists. The book starts in the gimmicky “medias res”, which is written in present tense, switches throughout most of the book to flashback in past tense (or normal narrative style), then reverts back to present tense for the ending. This bothered me, having to make that reading shift for no discernible reason.
Overall, I kept turning the pages and enjoyed the action and the messages. The writing is certainly strong enough to carry the blatant proselytizing, although if you are the type to deny global warming, don’t bother. If you are concerned about the future of the earth, you might enjoy this novel.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, escapist page-turner. The nice thing about this book is that the storyline and characters are just far enough outside of the current reality to be good science fiction, and close enough to current reality to make it feel possible, perhaps even probable...eventually.

So what's it all about? Let's just say that if you mix a beautiful venture capitalist scout, a former direction action environmental activist, an emotionless but totally twisted steel and sex appeal laden neuroscientist, and a peerless computer programmer who combine forces to try to find a way to sell an experience where you don't watch, but actually experience what it's like to BE an endangered species, then you've got the premise.

OK, in full disclosure you need to know that I'm a sucker for just about any book that is set at least in part in Santa Cruz, CA.

As for my experience with the book...the story takes off nicely, the writing does not get in the way of the storytelling (not great literature, but it is pretty well written), and there are twists and turns a plenty to keep things interesting. The science is pretty good, except for some of the details of the biology of diving whales but nothing to get too worked up about, and things come together nicely as the story rolls along. I think though that the conclusion though satisfying at some levels pulls up one star short of "awesome."

FYI, there is a smattering of potentially offensive language, but in most cases it does not come across as gratuitous.

All in all, an enjoyable read and well worth adding to your summer reading list. Don't wait too long though, summer won't last forever.

4 solid stars.

[David Ketelsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of the ARC edition of this book in exchange for a review.

The Sensory Deception is an amazing ride. Ransom Stephens takes you from the moneyed halls of venture capitalists in Silicon Valley to the dirt poor coast of Somalia's pirates and then onto the deep jungle of the Amazon Basin. The sense of wonder he conveys using the idealism and technical know-how of the entrepreneurial protagonists is matched by the thrilling settings and the situations in which they find themselves. I highly recommend you read this book, it's incredible.

Farley Rutherford and his team of technical wizards have invented a device that allows a person to totally experience the world from the viewpoint of another being---human or otherwise---seeing, hearing, smelling what they do. This book is about how they use this technology to try to change the world. Let's hope that this is a case where reality soon catches up to fiction because this is a device that can really change minds and souls. Imagine experiencing the loss of polar ice from the perspective of a polar bear: sensing in hours what the polar bear endures across weeks searching for a next meal---but also being immersed in the joy of swimming with those powerful limbs, stalking, killing and eating a seal from the bear's perspective, temporarily losing your human perspective. Stephens conveys this in a visceral way that is believable and convincing. This is one hell of a book!

[Vivek Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful and invigorating read

The style of writing was really good, the story line ,fresh, just the drawing power of the book fluctuated sometimes and that's why 4 stars. Otherwise if you have patience this is really a book about nature and technology.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty solid suspense-sci-fi. Not a thriller in the traditional sense, but with both action and a heavy environmentalist message (which was fine). It took an interesting approach to telling the story (largely from a venture capitalist's point of view). While the plot was interesting, I often had a hard time suspending my disbelief -- the main characters go about addressing each obstacle in a very straightforward way, as if conceiving an idea and then just putting in the right number of hours will yield the result you want. I'm sure the author knows that science and engineering do not work that way, and it probably would not bother most readers. It was an interesting read.

[Angi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way Mr Stephens lets you get to know all of the characters in his books, not just the main characters. I also enjoy the fact that he can managed to incorporate so much science into his stories and my brain doesn't automatically explode after I have read it. He does a great job of including the information so that most anyone can read it and, if not understand completely, at least grasp the theory. I think Ransom Stephens is a great author and I love reading his books.

[Andy Sonder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book which spins a, verging on unbelivable, tale while highlighting some of the attrocities happening to animals at the hands of humans. What Stephens writing lacks in reality and plausibility, it makes up for in dazzeling detail, page turning story, and indepth and challenging issues of our time.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is wanting to go on an exciting thrill ride to educate the masses and save loved ones.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

YUCK! Not my thing at all, the writing is hard going, very short sentences reminiscent of Dan Brown. I'm not interested in the subject of the story so far and none of the characters have grabbed my attention at all. I got 10% of the way through and wondered why I was wasting my time so I gave up. (I never give up on books, although I did give up on The Da Vinci code too) I'm sure someone else would enjoy this but really not me.

[Rachel van Huyssteen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sensory Deception
This book was unique.
As I am already interested/intrigued by Virtual Reality, this book was so interesting. I learned many new facts about virtual reality and the way in which it is produced, the equipment used.
But there was also romance, suspense, and adventure.
I felt this book was similar to the Martian in that it helped me learn new things about technology, science, etc.
I recommend this to any sci fi readers and fans of "The martian"

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally finished it!!! This book was outstanding, It had strong characters and storyline that kept my interest throughout. I also was amazed and intrigued by the technology that we could possibly have in the future-it blew my mind. Ransom Stephens has one heck of an imagination. I really enjoyed this read-If you like animals and technology, you got to read this book. Jeff Tucker

[Crissi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a pre-released copy of this book so I could write an article about it. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was! The first half of the book was a little slow, but gradually picked up speed. By the end, I was riveted as a flurry of nonstop action took place, keeping my nose buried in the book until I reached the last page. I highly recommend this book.

[Les · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book is slow, with a lot of time spent on the workings of venture capital and startups in Silicon Valley. The second half provided much more action and excitement. However, most of the characters felt shallow, and a lot of the situations stretched belivability to, if not a little beyond the breaking point.

This a fun read once you get past the tedium at the beginning.

[Russ Dick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very cool tale

Many stories are variations of a common theme maybe set in a different time or place or age or sex but very similar. This story is a well told, unique one. The characters are interesting and different and the pace of the book is quick. Highly recommend this book to readers looking for something different and creatively and compellingly told.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great concept, nice storytelling, but it dragged quite a bit in the middle and I almost didn't pick it up again(too much detail/trying to cram in too much?). Fortunately I did, as the last 1/5 of the book finally picked up the pace and tied back to the initial chapter!

[Jeff Raymond]

This book has a really interesting, cool idea, but ultimately lacks that interesting punch that would keep me engaged. Less a sci-fi book and more a procedural in a way, it's not a condemnation of the book as much as something that wasn't keeping my interest.

[David Pomerico · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my books at 47North. Biased, but love it. Science thriller that felt a little bit like Stephenson's Zodiac meets Crichton's Disclosure. For me, as much as I loved the science, I really got caught up in the world of venture capitalism.

[Sean Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the immersion here overwhelming in its intensity. while I couldn't get into Chopper's head, I was still able to appreciate the layered writing and complexity of the task facing the characters. A very well-put-together work and I'm buying his next. Now.

[Randy Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for geeks

Great read for geeks

Entrepreneurs, virtual reality, mind manipulation, venture capitalists, and silicon valley. What more could geeks want out of a story? loved it with a slight disappointment at a weak last few chapters.