The Sensory Deception

Farley leads a small group of brilliant, environmentally conscious scientists. They have developed a virtual reality system that will revolutionize the world and hopefully further their mission by fostering identification and appreciation of endangered species. Beautiful venture capitalist Gloria recognizes the potential of the system and the passion of its creators. Initially focused on money and success, Gloria becomes captivated by Farley and to a lesser extent, his cause. But reality has a way of fracturing the strongest of teams and greed, politics, deception and betrayal threaten the project and their lives.

This is an ambitious novel but its thought-provoking elements were overwhelmed by unnecessary diversions into pulp thriller. The Somali pirate detour was distracting and the romance was less than convincing. Opportunities to examine the psychology of eco terrorism as well as to question the ethics of using technology and pharmaceuticals as tools to propagandize and track the uninformed were missed. Farley did not seem terribly conflicted over the choice between (wo)man or mission. The ending was predictable and a bit of a let down.

This is an easy read. It is not too techy. Even though the pace is uneven the story progresses. I wish the author had chosen the road less travelled instead of opting for fairly standard adventure fare. Still this provides adventure with a touch of altruism. Recommended.

The ideas behind this book are great, and I SO wanted to like it. Even the characters are interesting....but the actual execution is just plain confused.

The idea is that a trio has developed a new form of virtual reality that is highly convincing so much so that the users can actually believe that they are the animals around which the reality is constructed. The opening chapter starts with Gloria, the representative of a VC experiencing life as a polar bear.

Great! Love the story so far!

*warning, minor spoilers ahead, though I don't reveal the big "surprises"*

But then...it keeps trying to go off track. Two of the trio are Chopper and Farley and both are very eco-minded, convinced that animal experiences which teach people to care about the earth are the best use of the technology so they fight the idea of popular "Disney" or "superhero" aps for their tech. What they really want is to get a sperm whale. Their virtual reality is based on actual recorded data, so to do so they have to hook up sensors to a real whale and get the data, then create the virtual reality experience that way. Okay...so the book goes into elaborate detail about how they manage to make sonar accessible to humans in a way that doesn't sound convincing to me, but somehow makes it work. Besides that and the polar bear experience, they also have an eagle one, which if it worked, to me would be the most interesting (flight, anyone?) but that one isn't really discussed by the book at all.

And then, while getting the sperm whale one put together suddenly there is kidnapping by Somali pirates and a documentary about them. So the book goes off on that tangent. Then toxic waste dumping and evil corporations. Then, Chopper invents a mind altering drug. Then Gloria's father, who's with the group captured by the Somali pirates, shows what a super commando he is. Then there is a whole adventure in the rain forest with fire and so on and it just keeps going in random directions.

Then I can't help but wonder about things. Like why do we never hear about the eagle experience? How come people are changed so drastically by the drug in very specific ways but no one really questions it? How is the whale thing convincing?

There's a lot that's difficult: The ecological mindedness is prominate...the book itself seems passionate about it, but it keeps kind of getting twisted in it. The tech is not explained in a way that makes it terribly easy for the reader (me) to relate to how an experience might work. Why the heck are we going off on pirate tangents? Some interesting characters get brought in and then not really developed (some of the commandos come to mind). Then the end bit...I dunno, I just find it rather disturbing. The book leaves off with unanswered questions too, but not in a way that really invites a sequel.

On the whole, like I said, the ideas are neat, but the execution is just not there. I found it a difficult and frustrating read and I came out of more irritated/disturbed than when I went in.

Two stars only because I like some of the ideas and I was able to finish it.

The premise is quite interesting, and the writing is fine....not too dumbed down and literary enough to please me. Characterization was somewhat interesting....although development could have been better. I was most disturbed by the inaccuracies of sperm whale behavior. I know enough about toothed cetaceans to be bothered by some of the flagrant fantasies outlined here. As a biologist myself who studied toothed cetaceans in graduate school, this is a big deal. Don't write about biology without doing basic research and there is enough published about sperm whale social behavior that...well, enough fuming about that! I read this book quickly and it did pull me along but there were constant irksome errors that galled.

If you like a book that makes you say "that's so cool" than this is the book for you. If you want science fiction that truly explores a new direction, here it is!

Stephens brings together some of the most cutting edge technology available today, and makes a leap that is so unexpected that it works brilliantly.

Imagine that you could record the sensory perception of an animal, and transmit it to people through virtual reality. And imagine that the experience was so real that it shut down the higher brain functions, to allow the instincts from the basal part of the brain to take over. The result is a thrilling experience that puts you in the mind and body of an animal. You know the expression "one death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic?" Stephens takes statistics about animals real.

Cool ideas get you a three star review. What makes this story a five star are the story and the characters. Turning a technology into a product isn't easy, and the efforts to build a company, complete with crazy rich VC, are a key part of the story flow. the characters are fun, have chemistry, and are unpredictable enough to keep you wondering what will happen next.

I love this book, and will buy for friends and family.

Sensory deception is a hard book to review because it mixes absolutely great action writing with mind numbingly dull discussions of corporate governance and proselytizing about environmental issues. Depending on which section of the book you are in this is a 5 star action romp or a 1 or 2 star dull discussion featuring shallow characters or a 4 star science fiction adventure. It is hard to recommend this because it is so inconsistent but the premiss is great and there are section which absolutely rock.

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.

"The Sensory Deception" maybe isn't the most well-written novel - in fact, it's a little pulpy - but I love the plot, the ideas, and the very believable consumerist reaction to a potentially deadly technology.

I'd describe the novel equal parts science fiction, adventure, and technology thriller. Like I said before, for all its high-tech plot devices, it's basically old-school sci-fi/adventure pulp. The idea is fantastic, and the primary purpose of the characters is to advance the events - they are reactors, not instigators, and I understand why some people take issue with this - it results in somewhat two-dimensional characterizations. However, I feel that "The Sensory Deception" wasn't meant to be a character-driven tour-de-force. It's not about the characters - it's about the plot, and you just can't have a plot without at least some help from characters.

My only complaint was that Ransom Stephens tends to get a little preachy at certain points. It's not very often, or for very long, but it's overt and it does tend to take you out of the story.

Other than that, though, "The Sensory Deception" is a great read and if you're looking for an action-packed adventure, you'll like it.

"The Sensory Deception" maybe isn't the most well-written novel - in fact, it's a little pulpy - but I love the plot, the ideas, and the very believable consumerist reaction to a potentially deadly technology.

I'd describe the novel equal parts science fiction, adventure, and technology thriller. Like I said before, for all its high-tech plot devices, it's basically old-school sci-fi/adventure pulp. The idea is fantastic, and the primary purpose of the characters is to advance the events - they are reactors, not instigators, and I understand why some people take issue with this - it results in somewhat two-dimensional characterizations. However, I feel that "The Sensory Deception" wasn't meant to be a character-driven tour-de-force. It's not about the characters - it's about the plot, and you just can't have a plot without at least some help from characters.

My only complaint was that Ransom Stephens tends to get a little preachy at certain points. It's not very often, or for very long, but it's overt and it does tend to take you out of the story.

Other than that, though, "The Sensory Deception" is a great read and if you're looking for an action-packed adventure, you'll like it.

Silicon valley geeks, venture capitalists, and environmental activists join forces to bring the plight of endangered animals into the hearts and minds of the world.

Instead pleading with people to feel bad for the poor starving polar bears, Farley Rutherford, Chopper Vittori, and Ringo Hayes team up to bring the plight of the bears' (and other endangered species) starvation and doomed habitats to the public in a whole new way. Instead of trying to get people to imagine what the bears are going through, Farley and his crew are determined to make people actually think they "are" the bear. A new twist on virtual reality could be the breakthrough needed to stopped the destruction of nature. Bring people into a new way of experiencing virtual reality, with their minds overlapped with all the sensations another species experiences. Instead of thinking of the polar ice as cold, feel it like the bears do, as a comfortable, reassuring environment, in other words, don't just think about the bear, be the bear.

A well written tech mystery/thriller, I highly recommend

This was boring and not as suspenseful. Why do we have to have meetings about this whole thing that seem to drag this whole book. Really could have been more thrilling; instead, it was disappointing.