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Virtually Deserted

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In 2057, almost the entire planet is addicted to a virtual reality system called the Stratosphere, where any desire the mind can conjure is sated. Society has descended into narcissism, the real world abandoned to decay. However, escape exacts a price. Without workers, the network that supports users’ digital dreams will collapse.

The Stratosphere’s creator, Katharine Wilde, must decide. If the system fails, the last city on earth will crumble. Yet, the longer it operates, the more citizens lose sight of their humanity.

She makes two poor decisions that unleash a horrific chain of events. First, she sends a dangerously unbalanced man on a spy mission to locate a mythical bio-quantum computer she believes can stop society's final descent into savagery. Secondly, she underestimates a convenient political alliance.

Circumstances thrust a handful of ordinary people into an unlikely coalition as they attempt to undo the damage caused by Katharine’s choices. Powerful forces rally against them in what culminates in nothing less than an epic struggle to reclaim humanity’s soul.

In Virtually Deserted, Savage explores how the pursuit of individualism, to the exclusion of all else, destroys the social relationships that define humanity, and with it, individuality. It’s a complex tale revealed through many character’s interlocking perspectives. In this sense, the structure is similar to World War Z. Here, the similarity ends. The book isn’t light reading. It’s written for readers who seek an intellectual challenge, and are prepared to invest effort in a deeper story.

330 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 18, 2017

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I.M. Savage

2 books10 followers

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Profile Image for Nisa.
47 reviews
March 12, 2017
**Thanks I.M. Savage for providing me free copy of this e-book exchange for honest review. :)**
5 Stars ★★★★★
I loved its ending that made me cry (I’m someone who easily cry) and smile at the same time. At the end when writer make you sory for character who is lost and he or she add a meaning for lost and make you smile because of that.

description

I’m good ending lover and I would rather to read happy ending books rather than being sad in the end.

It was different experience for me at the beginning I thought story was too slow for me going on reading. It was really slow beginning for me (I usually don’t expect to be told about book’s world and I like to find myself in the middle of action :)) That new world needed too much things to be told, this was needed for to know character (this story have main characters more than one) and the world writer created but I wasn’t hopeful how it will go on. But when I reach like %30 I began to want to read on without break (even though I was busy). After for a while one twist come and made want to begin again look for clues about it because I didn’t see it was coming (I won’t even spoil it read and see yourself :)) Before the end but I was close to finished it I thought this go for 4 stars if it has a good ending. The end didn’t make me upset but made me more pleased what I hoped. After finished its ending I couldn’t think to give anything but 5 stars :).

Blurb
The Stratosphere’s creator, Katharine Wilde, must decide. If the system fails, the last city on earth will crumble. Yet, the longer it operates, the more citizens lose sight of their humanity.

She makes two poor decisions that unleash a horrific chain of events. First, she sends a dangerously unbalanced man on a spy mission to locate a mythical bio-quantum computer she believes can stop society's final descent into savagery. Secondly, she underestimates a convenient political alliance.

Circumstances thrust a handful of ordinary people into an unlikely coalition as they attempt to undo the damage caused by Katharine’s choices. Powerful forces rally against them in what culminates in nothing less than an epic struggle to reclaim humanity’s soul.


This novel not one main character story but have a lot of character who have important roles in the story. In this story I usually didn’t like any character but Gus. He was sick and handicapped but He did care people and want to help when someone need it even though he wasn’t strong to do it easily but he won’t excape from hardness and go for it. Other characters Nancy (a unusual girl who don’t like virtually game Stratosphere unlike her peers and have a important role in the story), Prof. Igan who is Katharine’s father and invented bio-quantum computers, Brenna who work with Prof. Igan and Trevor crazy man who Katharine hired for finding bio-quantum computers and some other characters like Logan, Grant who have important as well. I won’t say much more because I don’t want to give spoilers for them I would like you to see for yourself :)).

Virtually games or worlds usually used by writers (as much as I know) and wasn’t new story for me but when I read book I was curious about 3D printers and how they used now. Some urls about 3D printers for who curious about them (3D Printing - Explaining the Future, What Lies Ahead for 3-D Printing ,
10 Ways That 3D Printing Will Change Our Lives, 40 Cool Things to 3D Print Which Are Actually Useful) they are what I think interesting information in the internet, there is a lot of information about 3D printers. For now it isn’t seems they can be used as much as in the book but it seems 3D printers have some chance for to be common and used for some machine work with electricity.

For who love fiction about future, to see technology how can change our world and don’t mind slow beginning then don’t miss this novel and try for yourself. I hope you can love book and its ending as much as I love :))
Profile Image for Papaphilly.
300 reviews74 followers
May 29, 2017
I.M. Savage has written an extraordinary work. Virtually Deserted is an intellectually stimulating look at narcissism and addiction with its corroding effects on larger society. I.M. Savage ask a deceptively simple question, "what happens to a society if you give them their deepest desires"? and "how do you prevent the end of the known world when nobody cares?" The answer is anything but simple.

Intensely written with many moving parts, Virtually Deserted weaves its magic throughout without settling on any one character to move the story along. Told from various personal motives, I.M. Savage's take on human greed, intellectual arrogance, the search for redemption and the general lack of personal awareness is a caustic commentary on modern society.

Virtually Deserted has it all without being overwhelmed by any advent. I.M. Savage deftly manages to cover politics, environmental collapse, terrorism, social contracts, love, insanity, and day-to-day living in a failing society without allowing any one aspect to overwhelm the story. Somehow the author has managed to skim across the various sub-plots and yet both move along a deeper story and not somehow become bogged down in the pitfalls of delving deeper. It is an amazing balancing act. The reader learns just enough to be able to study the deeper question without latching onto one character to love. It is almost that they do not matter, but they do.

Reminiscent of Pump Six and Other Stories and The Sheep Look Up along with Ready Player One, Virtually Deserted is a very sobering look at what happens when everybody leaves the mundane to someone else while the fantasy world is everything.

One caveat, this is not a beach read and will take effort. This is well worth the time to read and should be savored. It is well worth the effort.
Profile Image for Garfield Whyte.
Author 5 books87 followers
February 5, 2017
Looking in the future is one thing but actually writing a story about future in this way requires a certain level of skill and acumen. This is very commendable. What I found interesting was the fact that although the story is futuristic it depicts aspects of our present day world and what mankind are doing to pose a threat to our existence on earth. Virtually deserted is not much different from the present. I make an analogy between our present world crisis with nuclear weapons of mass destruction which can totally eradicate life on earth with a certain event in this story caused by Katharine and how that put these characters on the edge of survival. Hence my thinking that the futuristic nature of this story has similarities to our present day society. Despite this being fictional, it still in some ways gives me the crepes.
I will not be like some reviewers who downgrade a novel because they don’t like the genre. The fact is I wasnt immersed in this at all but, I have to be fair to a fellow author and analyse the story based on the quality of the writing… the pace of the story… the skill with which this story was delivered… the creativity to write about the future and so I think the author did well in those regards. That being said there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that anyone who likes these apocalyptic stories will definitely find this book an enjoyable read as it is well written, imaginative in some ways and shows the authors commitment to this genre.
Profile Image for Augustine Sam.
Author 7 books15 followers
February 5, 2017
A Complex Weave of Ambiguity

The challenge of understanding this book is enormous, not only because the writing is amateurishly pompous on one hand and mushy-headed on the other, but also because the plot is jumbled up, confusing and unrealistic. Scenes unfold out of the blue, leaving the reader in the dark about their origin, their relevance, or where they are leading. The only thing that’s clear is that this is a post-apocalyptic story.

It begins with the creation of an ambitious virtual reality that goes awry, causing the destruction of the world. As a result, chaos erupts. The chaos, sadly, is not in the event itself but in the book. Characters just flit across the pages like candles flickering in the wind. None of them has any real substance or exist and act in any way that makes them relatable, except perhaps the protagonist, Katharine Wilde, whose desire for greatness apparently destroyed the world, which is where the book begins. In subsequent chapters, it jumps forward to thirty years in the future, creating a complex stack of ambiguity that makes continued reading a challenge.

Perhaps the following passage mirrors the confusion perfectly: “...and the true meaning of nothing revealed itself. Before she kissed him on the cart, nothing was everything. Now, nothing was nothing.
Profile Image for B. Tollison.
Author 4 books4 followers
October 12, 2017
An eclectic story in terms of its themes, plot elements, and characterisaton, utilising several sci-fi tropes to do what sci-fi does best: explore and discuss the relationship between humanity and technology.

Virtually Deserted's real strength lies in the balance it achieves between the story it wants to tell and the themes it wants to express. Rarely does one come at the cost of the other. The author is equally concerned with maintaining the story's pace and suspense as they are with conveying themes of extreme individualism, of the relationship between humans and the virtual world, and the delicate nature of our own self image.

All these ideas are expressed in the actions and values of an ensemble cast, utilising concepts familiar to any sci-fi fan: virtual reality, artificial intelligence, humanistic robots, and strong female characters. These have been explored well in other stories and formats, nevertheless they're used effectively here and with the inclusion of an exploration into 3D printing, the ideas still feel modern and undeniably relevant.

Characterisation can be a mixed bag at times with some characters being fleshed out better than others. With the exception of Robert (whose moral code seems to shift and evolve somewhat as things progress) the main antagonists felt a little one dimensional, as if I'd seen them numerous times before. With such a large cast, this is to be expected, though I would've preferred a little more from two of the central antagonists. Both characters work well in terms of progressing the story and one could view both of them as products of a hyper-narcissistic world but I didn't really feel that while reading, it was rather something I considered in hindsight. While their motives were clear I feel their connection to the theme of diconnecting from reality and society wasn't strong enough. They felt more like typical Bond villains than anything else when really they could've added another dimension to a central theme while strengthening them as characters in their own right if their backstories were more fleshed out.

The characterisation has otherwise been woven into the story and themes well, so as things progress we learn enough about most of the cast to feel a sympathetic connection with them. While some readers may find it difficult early on as we're introduced to the various players, and the layers of plot that accompany them, persistence definitely pays off as familiarity with the setting and story grow.

Virtually Deserted is not trying to re-write the sci-fi genre, but it has a story to tell and ideas it wants to express, and it does a good job of both. If you're interested in a multi-layered plot that explores themes of social cohesion and individualism and are particularly interested in the idea of virtual worlds, then there's plenty to like here. Fans of genres including military sci-fi and political thriller might be able to find something as well.
70 reviews4 followers
October 23, 2024
Virtually Deserted by Savage is a gripping, thought-provoking read that feels almost prophetic, especially considering it was written in 2017. Set in 2057, it imagines a world where nearly everyone is addicted to a virtual reality system, the Stratosphere, which feels eerily close to what social media is evolving into today. The book explores the consequences of such a system, particularly how it fosters a society consumed by narcissism and selfish desires, leading to a world in decay.

One of the strongest aspects of this novel is how well Savage captures the self-centered nature of the characters. Each one brings their own unique perspective to the table, and you can see the path that led them to where they are in the story. The interweaving of their flawed personalities made it feel authentic—these aren’t perfect heroes but deeply imperfect people, which makes it all the more engaging.

This is no light read, though. Savage’s writing is dense and intellectually challenging. He weaves in subtle symbolism throughout the story, rewarding readers who are willing to dive deep into the language and themes. My only suggestion would be an index of characters. There are many, and it’s difficult to keep track of them, especially at the start. Despite that, the abundance of characters rounds out the book and makes the world feel plausible and dynamic.

Savage also does an incredible job with the darker, more intense scenes, particularly those involving torture. I found the way he handled these moments gripping—not easy to write, but they drew me in rather than making me want to look away.

Virtually Deserted feels like a warning against losing ourselves in digital worlds and abandoning real human connections. There are many parallels to the direction we’re heading with social media and the easy, superficial validation we often seek. This book is scary because it’s so realistic—and it forces you to think about what we might become if we prioritize escape over meaningful relationships.

In short, I found this book to be thought-provoking, complex, unnerving in places, philosophical and most definitely a cautionary tale.
Profile Image for Amy Shannon.
Author 127 books135 followers
January 28, 2017

Threats are imminent!

This book is interesting, thought provoking and in turn, ultimately disturbing. It's not disturbing because of the writing, that is definitely done well, but the content. The characters are part of a post-apocalypse and there is a small society of survivors, and the human race is definitely an endangered species, with a future of possible annihilation. The desire for freedom may come at a cost. Great read and journey to a place that one hopes is not possible.
28 reviews
October 6, 2018
Worth Reading

It could happen! Maybe not tomorrow, but it could happen. Think about it! Who will object? Who will question? YOU?
Profile Image for Gary McKela.
13 reviews1 follower
November 6, 2019
A Great Read

Excellent! Happy it was a stand alone novel & not a never ending series. BQC's are an interesting idea that I haven't come across before. Thank you!
Profile Image for Sotolf Flasskjegg.
128 reviews17 followers
March 28, 2017
Not my book, I was up and down on this book, but I found out that it just isn't for me when I got about half way through it, a negative dystopian setting maybe isn't my favourite, but yeah. Some times through the books it felt to me that things that happened just were so convenient for driving the plot forward, and seemed to happen for no reason. It seems like the humanity was so fragile that it just broke apart so quickly, then there was no electricity for driving computers, while other machines and robots could be more than driven my fuelcells, it just didn't make much sense to me. Then there where some gratuitous "shocking" seems that seems like they were there just to show how bad everything is.

I'm quite sure someone else will like it better than me, if you're more into the setting it might be worth it for you. I don't think the book is terrible, at times I really did like it, but something about it just killed it for me, and I have a bit of a problem putting my finger on it, but I can't give it more stars at least. I'm sorry, not my kind of book.
Profile Image for Kel.
174 reviews7 followers
February 7, 2017
I was provided a free copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
Virtually Deserted by I.M. Savage- Such a good book! Normally when you pick up a Virtual Reality book you read about the experiences inside VR, but not with this one. In a time when everyone is plugged into this system, the world around them deteriorates; no one to clean your streets, make your meals, repair you electronics… what would happen if one day that system came crashing to a halt? What then?
The blurb is right, right around the 25% mark you get to really know the characters and feel for them. You start loving some and hating others. I.M. Savage creates this world that is so complex and colourful. It is a little odd at the beginning, but stick with it, you will be rewarded. A must read!
Profile Image for Ralph Jones.
Author 30 books27 followers
February 7, 2017
Virtually Deserted is a work that would grace any bookshelf, being easily amongst the top 10% of books I have read and very deserving of five stars.

The author creates a future that has been devastated by the hedonistic nature of mankind. People spend every spare moment locked into an hypnotic virtual world whilst living out their desperate lives in squalor and deprivation. The book details the lives of the surviving population and how a brave few fight against feudal authority to rescue what remains of humanity.

Mr Savage is a gifted writer, with a talent for descriptive, flowing prose that draws you inexorably into the story. The characterisation is strong and the story excellent and moves at a decent pace. Importantly in a book, one definitely becomes emotionally attached to the characters.

I would highly recommend this, and hope to read more from this author in future. Well done Mr. Savage.
Profile Image for Chris .
141 reviews
February 7, 2017
I received this in exchange for an honest review. Virtually Deserted is a thought-provoking novel that shows the effects technology might have on our society in the future. I have to say, at first I had trouble following the dialogue and I wasn't sure where the story was going, but as the characters gradually developed, I took a liking to them and started cheering them on. Then I could see the plot starting to come together and the book just took off from there. A real page-turner that I'd definitely recommend, especially to fans of dystopian sci-fi.
Profile Image for J.L. McFadden.
Author 4 books26 followers
April 4, 2017
Dystopian is one of my favorite genres and I regret not doing more reviews in this genre. I.M. Savage painted a creative and cognitively engaging story. Some people may find the beginning a bit beyond their constitution but others will rejoice in pulling all the threads in the beginning together.

I found his inclusion of 3D printing as a large part of the plot very interesting.

I also enjoyed the even flow between the characters in this story. This is one of those stories that shows how individuals in a situation have different outlooks, different roles, but are all equally as important as the other.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews

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