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Full Dive
In the virtual city of Atlantis, anything is possible. Floating islands dot the sky, portals provide instant travel, and people are free to be whatever they’d like—from a supermodel to a three-legged cat in a space suit. But for Wil, a failing dance club designer, Atlantis isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Desperate for cash and an escape from routine, he volunteers to test the next hot a fully-immersive simulation video game.
But what's with the health disclaimers and liability waivers? And why is the sim so painful?
Something is wrong.
From a monster-infested forest to the seedy back alleys of Atlantis, Wil is suddenly swept up in a conflict that could determine the future of virtual reality. Lives are at stake. The corporation behind the sim is in denial. And as Wil races to discover the truth of what’s happening, he’s finally forced to come to terms with the virtual world he’s always hated.
Full Dive is a science fiction adventure of the near future.
But what's with the health disclaimers and liability waivers? And why is the sim so painful?
Something is wrong.
From a monster-infested forest to the seedy back alleys of Atlantis, Wil is suddenly swept up in a conflict that could determine the future of virtual reality. Lives are at stake. The corporation behind the sim is in denial. And as Wil races to discover the truth of what’s happening, he’s finally forced to come to terms with the virtual world he’s always hated.
Full Dive is a science fiction adventure of the near future.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 25, 2017
9 people are currently reading
397 people want to read
About the author
T.M. Rain
1 book11 followersT.M. Rain grew up exploring the woods of New Hampshire by day, and churning through science fiction and fantasy novels by night. He lives in Virginia with his wife, and spends his time gardening, woodworking, riding his bike, running, and reading.
Full Dive is his first novel.
Full Dive is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 5, 2018
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
A stick in the mud kind of guy is assigned to test a new virtual reality device, one that is wholly immersive, and you can't tell what is real from what isn't. He meets a girl there, and makes a VR friend.
Some government bureaucracy decides the device is unsafe and must be banned. Of course, the bureau doesn't really care about "safety," but about money and power and control. The twist at the end forces one to ask questions about safety and risk, and who gets to decide what risks a person can take. Should an unelected unaccountable bureaucracy have this much power over peoples' lives?
A good sci fi that does what a good sci fi book should do. It makes one ask questions.
A stick in the mud kind of guy is assigned to test a new virtual reality device, one that is wholly immersive, and you can't tell what is real from what isn't. He meets a girl there, and makes a VR friend.
Some government bureaucracy decides the device is unsafe and must be banned. Of course, the bureau doesn't really care about "safety," but about money and power and control. The twist at the end forces one to ask questions about safety and risk, and who gets to decide what risks a person can take. Should an unelected unaccountable bureaucracy have this much power over peoples' lives?
A good sci fi that does what a good sci fi book should do. It makes one ask questions.
October 25, 2018
I’m big into scifi, probably 80% of my bookshelf over the years, so was excited to read “Full Dive.”
I beta read for Mr Rain, then, because I loved his story so much, bought a dead-tree version to reread.
I found myself so immersed in the story, that, for several minutes after taking a break from reading, I saw my real world overlaid with the simulation he produced in my head. I don’t think I’ve been that immersed in a story for years, possibly decades, and can’t wait for his next novel so I can do the same.
I beta read for Mr Rain, then, because I loved his story so much, bought a dead-tree version to reread.
I found myself so immersed in the story, that, for several minutes after taking a break from reading, I saw my real world overlaid with the simulation he produced in my head. I don’t think I’ve been that immersed in a story for years, possibly decades, and can’t wait for his next novel so I can do the same.
September 17, 2017
A fun read about the VR adventures of Wil in the world of Atlantis. It's clear that this book has been influenced by Ready Player One, but that is not a bad thing. If anything, if you are looking for books to read after Ready Player One "Full Dive" is a good spiritual successor.
I enjoyed how the author managed to split the story between the VR world of Atlantis and the real world. I think more time could have been spent explaining the situation of the real world. It doesn't seem like the real world is dystopian - things still seem to be running smoothly, but some more info about why Wil doesn't seem to have real life friends or some more interactions with people outside of Atlantis would have been nice.
As a character, Wil wasn't particularly memorable. The number of times that we are told he is afraid of heights was a little unnecessary. I quite liked the idea of Brian, he was a good counter to Wil - it was nice having another voice in the narrative.
I would have liked it if .
In regards to the ending,
A little more fleshing out of the story would have brought this up another star or two, but as the book stands it was still an enoyable read.
I enjoyed how the author managed to split the story between the VR world of Atlantis and the real world. I think more time could have been spent explaining the situation of the real world. It doesn't seem like the real world is dystopian - things still seem to be running smoothly, but some more info about why Wil doesn't seem to have real life friends or some more interactions with people outside of Atlantis would have been nice.
As a character, Wil wasn't particularly memorable. The number of times that we are told he is afraid of heights was a little unnecessary. I quite liked the idea of Brian, he was a good counter to Wil - it was nice having another voice in the narrative.
I would have liked it if .
In regards to the ending,
A little more fleshing out of the story would have brought this up another star or two, but as the book stands it was still an enoyable read.
December 30, 2017
Full dive has a rather slow start with bits of information that seem unnecessary, but overall the novel is easy to read and has an interesting storyline.
Jumping straight into the virtual reality is a bit confusing. I had some trouble with some of the the terminology (as someone who doesn´t really care about VR), but luckily it all made sense later on and became much easier to read after a few pages. I am surprised how many times the author reminded us Wil was afraid of heights when this piece of information was not central to the storyline. Based on the number of times he mentioned it I would expect more drama based on the fear. Another "issue" I had was the point of space jump and T2050 introduction. These seem to be only space fillers in a way and do not add much to the storyline.
The VR (and especially the T2050 VR) was described very well, almost like I was living it myself. All the worries and feelings translated to the reader with ease and made the story so real!
I loved the Rori vs Saulicomm plot and having no idea what was going on. There was definitely an element of surprise and because the characters were well described it was easy to believe what Wil believed. It was hard to see what Rori´s intentions were and why she would so what she did until the very end - this is great!
I wish we knew a bit more about the real world. I appreciate majority of the book was happening in VR and so that needed more description, but seeing the real world was not similar to what we have now, a bit more detail would be nice.
Overall I enjoyed the book. It was easy to read once accustomed to the terminology of virtual reality, the storyline was great even though not all info added up as it could have.
Jumping straight into the virtual reality is a bit confusing. I had some trouble with some of the the terminology (as someone who doesn´t really care about VR), but luckily it all made sense later on and became much easier to read after a few pages. I am surprised how many times the author reminded us Wil was afraid of heights when this piece of information was not central to the storyline. Based on the number of times he mentioned it I would expect more drama based on the fear. Another "issue" I had was the point of space jump and T2050 introduction. These seem to be only space fillers in a way and do not add much to the storyline.
The VR (and especially the T2050 VR) was described very well, almost like I was living it myself. All the worries and feelings translated to the reader with ease and made the story so real!
I loved the Rori vs Saulicomm plot and having no idea what was going on. There was definitely an element of surprise and because the characters were well described it was easy to believe what Wil believed. It was hard to see what Rori´s intentions were and why she would so what she did until the very end - this is great!
I wish we knew a bit more about the real world. I appreciate majority of the book was happening in VR and so that needed more description, but seeing the real world was not similar to what we have now, a bit more detail would be nice.
Overall I enjoyed the book. It was easy to read once accustomed to the terminology of virtual reality, the storyline was great even though not all info added up as it could have.
July 16, 2017
Sometimes with books like this one where the story is split across multiple realities (in this case VR and the real world) then one of them tends to suffer, the author managed to avoid falling into this trap quite well despite the primary focus being on the VR side of things and it also avoids being too litrpg either, which was a positive for me.
I think the author was probably a little heavy-handed when it came to introducing the main character, initially he comes across as just being some whiny kid, even though he is clearly a fair bit older than that. Things improve over time and enable you to root for him more readily, but it slowed the start for me as you had little context to him right from the outset.
The overall setting for the novel was done well with the VR world being particularly well designed on the whole without getting too bogged down on unimportant specifics if they were not crucial to the overall story.
The books asks some interesting questions about the nature of technological progress and the manner in which we use it, not all answers being positive ones, particularly from the main character's perspective.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel and my first visit to the VR world named Atlantis, I would be happy to return there when the author writes more set in this universe.
[Note - This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.]
I think the author was probably a little heavy-handed when it came to introducing the main character, initially he comes across as just being some whiny kid, even though he is clearly a fair bit older than that. Things improve over time and enable you to root for him more readily, but it slowed the start for me as you had little context to him right from the outset.
The overall setting for the novel was done well with the VR world being particularly well designed on the whole without getting too bogged down on unimportant specifics if they were not crucial to the overall story.
The books asks some interesting questions about the nature of technological progress and the manner in which we use it, not all answers being positive ones, particularly from the main character's perspective.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel and my first visit to the VR world named Atlantis, I would be happy to return there when the author writes more set in this universe.
[Note - This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.]
August 4, 2017
Full Dive is a fun story about Wil, a financially-challenged technophobe who accepts an opportunity to try out a new, hyper-real VR. Naturally, things don't go quite according to plan.
What I enjoyed:
The characters were amusing and varied. Wil has a much more adventurous friend, a mysterious friend, and a rather fussy healthbot who reminded me a bit of C-3PO. Each character had a unique personality.
By and large, the plot was well-constructed with more twists and turns than a bag of pretzels. Just when you think you have the plot predicted, something weird happens.
What I might have done differently:
There was one exception to well-constructed plot. At a critical point, one of the characters made a very convenient but not entirely logical choice. It might have still worked with a bit more setup to provide some motivation for the character to be more likely to go contrary to nature.
The story was compelling, and I'd say check it out!
What I enjoyed:
The characters were amusing and varied. Wil has a much more adventurous friend, a mysterious friend, and a rather fussy healthbot who reminded me a bit of C-3PO. Each character had a unique personality.
By and large, the plot was well-constructed with more twists and turns than a bag of pretzels. Just when you think you have the plot predicted, something weird happens.
What I might have done differently:
There was one exception to well-constructed plot. At a critical point, one of the characters made a very convenient but not entirely logical choice. It might have still worked with a bit more setup to provide some motivation for the character to be more likely to go contrary to nature.
The story was compelling, and I'd say check it out!
July 1, 2017
I was provided a free copy of this e-book as a beta read and am now giving an honest review.
Full Dive by T.M.Rain: I really liked this book! I’ve read tons of books where virtual reality is the subject and very few of them ever make me feel like I’m experiencing it with the character. Rain has a way of being descriptive w/out being verbose or flowery.
In a time where virtual reality is a way for making money, seeing family and friends, and for living life –Wil is reluctant to take any chances. Until one day he takes that leap big time. Meeting new people, experiencing new things and putting his life and health in jeopardy?
You get to see the characters as their avatar and as a person, meet them and find what makes them tick. I highly suggest you pick this book up!
Full Dive by T.M.Rain: I really liked this book! I’ve read tons of books where virtual reality is the subject and very few of them ever make me feel like I’m experiencing it with the character. Rain has a way of being descriptive w/out being verbose or flowery.
In a time where virtual reality is a way for making money, seeing family and friends, and for living life –Wil is reluctant to take any chances. Until one day he takes that leap big time. Meeting new people, experiencing new things and putting his life and health in jeopardy?
You get to see the characters as their avatar and as a person, meet them and find what makes them tick. I highly suggest you pick this book up!
August 25, 2022
This is a fun book. The pacing is solid, the relationships are enjoyable, and the plot wasn't too predictable. If you happen to be a fan of Anime, then there is a good chance you have seen half a dozen shows that deal with people being stuck in VR or something similar. This deviates just enough to still feel fresh. My biggest issue with this book was that it I wanted more from it; more science, more character/environment descriptions, more relationship/character development. It felt like the reading equivalent of a summer action film. You can't claim it's the highest form of right, but it's a hell of a ride anyway.
September 19, 2017
An alright journey.
A quick and fun read that kept me entertained. The main character was a bit annoying. His incessant whining and constant apprehension was grating. The world was interesting. Filled with interesting ideas. While Full Dive has litrpg elements it is not an litrpg book.
A quick and fun read that kept me entertained. The main character was a bit annoying. His incessant whining and constant apprehension was grating. The world was interesting. Filled with interesting ideas. While Full Dive has litrpg elements it is not an litrpg book.
February 11, 2018
Very interesting story line that is not to far from reality or a soon to be reality. Full Dive felt kind of "Matrix-ie" but with a modern day twist of choosing to immerse oneself into VR. The main character did come across whiney but that didn't distract to much from the overall enjoyment of reading.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews