Story Idea: Sim-5
I’m writing this blog post to share some ideas I have for a new novel: Sim-5. I’m probably not going to start writing it until early next year because I have other projects to finish first. But, I’m constantly coming up with ideas and thinking about how the novel’s going to play out.
Here’s the premise of Sim-5.
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Eleanor will be taking part in Sim-5, a new TV competition all about simulated realities. Over the next five days she will explore five ‘worlds’ - World 1, World 2 and so on. Four of these are simulated. One of them is real. Eleanor doesn’t know which is which. In each world, she’ll meet a guide who will give her a task to complete. If she completes it, she’ll earn some prize money and a hint. Each world has lots of clues (and some red herrings!). The hints help her determine how to decipher the clues and work out which of the five worlds is actually real.
At the end of the fifth day after exploring the final world, Eleanor will sit down with the show’s host and have an interview. She will then be asked which of the five worlds she thinks is real. If she’s correct, she’ll win all the prize money she’s earned. If her guess is incorrect, she’ll earn a small consolation prize.
During the competition Eleanor will live in a purpose-built apartment in a TV studio. Every morning she will step into a large pod. After confirming she’s ready, the pod will put her to sleep and she’ll soon ‘wake up’ in one of the five worlds. In each one, there’s an exit pod she has to find. If she doesn’t make it to the exit pod in time, she’ll forfeit any prize money and hints she’s earned (she doesn’t find out what the hint is unless she makes it to the exit pod in time).
On the day she enters the real world, she steps into the pod as usual and is put to sleep. The pod is then wheeled out of the TV studio and taken to a nearby place that’s been dressed up to serve as one of the show’s worlds. It’s filled with actors. When she’s done, she’s put to sleep in the exit pod and is wheeled back to the apartment where she then wakes up, just like she would after visiting one of the simulated worlds.
If she doesn’t make it to the real world’s exit pod in time, she’s still put to sleep. Before beginning the show, she agreed to have a small device injected under her skin. This device can release a substance that makes her fall asleep within seconds. The producers of the show can control this remotely - it’s all in the contract she read thoroughly and signed!
Each of the five worlds is meant to be realistic. Because one of them is real, the four simulated ones can’t be too outlandish or extreme otherwise the real one would stand out too much.
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And that’s it. That’s the gist of Sim-5, though some of the finer details may need to be tweaked. I’ve come up with lots of ideas for this novel and can’t wait to throw myself into it.
Sim-5 is going to be a sci-fi/mystery novel. It will be something of a puzzle story. Though Eleanor’s goal is simple - determine which of five worlds is real - it won’t be easy for her. Before starting, she’ll be told to pay attention to everything because everything should be considered, even if it doesn’t turn out to be important. As I said earlier, there will be lots of clues and red herrings to muddle Eleanor’s brain (and the reader’s!) and make it harder for her to work out which of the five worlds is real.
Which world is real?
Will Eleanor’s guess be correct?
Will your guess be correct?