The online virtual reality experience that almost every tech giant today wishes to commercially exploit may not catch onIn the 1992 sci-fi dystopia Snow Crash, the author Neal Stephenson imagined a bleak 21st century where the collapse of the global economy had seen governments fall and their power replaced by a few giant businesses. The book is notable for prescience, anticipating the adoption of what was then seen as outlandish technologies like the wireless internet, cryptocurrencies and smartphones, as well as the rise of the gig economy. But it is the book’s prophetic vision of “the metaverse” that has revived interest in the work.That is because Stephenson described the online virtual reality experience that almost every tech giant today wishes to commercially exploit. Last October, Microsoft announced that users of its Teams online meetings app would be able to turn themselves into avatars – the term Stephenson popularised in Snow Crash – to encourage users into virtual interaction. Days later Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder, rebranded his company as Meta, with a focus on the potential for virtual worlds. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2022-02-07 19:11:48 UTC ]
These six creepy science fiction recommendations are perfect for when you're in the mood to be deeply unsettled. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-05-21 10:30:00 UTC ]
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The science fiction legend’s dystopian masterwork has been adapted into a timely graphic novel by Damian Duffy and John Jennings. A nine-page excerpt. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-05-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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AI is changing how we work, live, and create, and marketers are defaulting to the familiar visual codes of science fiction to capture it. Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2025-05-13 06:00:00 UTC ]
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These elements of ‘Star Wars’ stories might seem like science fiction but are actually real. Just 48 short years ago, movie director George Lucas used the phrase “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” as the opening to the first Star Wars movie, later labeled Episode IV: A New Hope. But at... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2025-05-04 08:30:00 UTC ]
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Now we’re seeing cozy science fiction and fantasy, and even cozy horror. So what exactly does "cozy" mean? Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-04-30 10:00:00 UTC ]
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Sam Weller on Ray Bradbury’s underappreciated classic: “The Martian Chronicles is a serious book about serious human themes. It is science fiction as a reflection of modernity.” | Lit Hub Criticism Milo Todd on tracing and preserving trans history while writing historical fiction. | Lit Hub... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2025-04-28 10:30:04 UTC ]
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Why do authors see Meta’s AI model as a threat to their livelihoods? Ella Creamer reportsEarlier this month, a group of protesters gathered outside the London headquarters of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. They were demonstrating over the company’s use of millions... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2025-04-21 02:00:24 UTC ]
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A new take on Lady Macbeth, anonymous fantasies, a science fiction thriller on a space ship, and more of today's best book deals Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-04-07 15:37:09 UTC ]
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Elon Musk said he borrowed the name from a 1960s science fiction novel, but another AI startup applied to trademark it before xAI launched its chatbot. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2025-03-31 09:30:00 UTC ]
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Whether the Meta boss and his ex-lieutenant Sheryl Sandberg are truly beyond awful is neither here nor there. I thought he was done with factcheckingI am as shocked as I am confused that Mark Zuckerberg is going all-out to block a memoir by Facebook’s former director of global public policy,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2025-03-14 12:37:30 UTC ]
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Here are the finalists for this year's Nebula Awards, honoring the best in science fiction and fantasy. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-03-13 14:16:15 UTC ]
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J.D. Beresford’s The Hampdenshire Wonder is generally considered to be the first fictional treatment of superhuman intelligence, or “superintelligence.” This is a familiar trope for readers of science fiction today, but when the novel was originally published in 1911 it was anything but. What... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-06 09:59:31 UTC ]
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My friend and former work colleague Simon Welfare, who has died aged 78, was a writer and pioneering TV producer whose programmes aimed to make science accessible to all.Together with the science fiction author Arthur C Clarke and a fellow producer, John Fairley, in 1980 he cooked up the format... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2025-02-24 11:07:52 UTC ]
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Science fiction has been obsessed with perfect female robot companions but never considered what makes a good male human companion, till now. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2025-02-05 17:21:10 UTC ]
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The subgenre helped increase the market share by 41.3% last year aided by bestseller Fourth Wing from Rebecca Yarros while food and drink topped nonfiction salesSales of science fiction and fantasy books rocketed last year, with their value increasing by 41.3% between 2023 and 2024.The booming... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2025-02-03 17:00:52 UTC ]
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Mysterious tarot + a missing person, an action-packed science fiction thriller, an ancient guide to modern life, and more of today's best book deals Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-01-21 16:18:42 UTC ]
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