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 ]
This week's new science fiction and fantasy reads include two that explore fantastical worlds about literature. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-07-19 16:00:00 UTC ]
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Dive into this double dose of new science fiction and fantasy releases out this week. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-07-12 16:15:00 UTC ]
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By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) Science fiction has reinvented the Robinsonade – a narrative based on the scenario described in Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe – on numerous occasions and in a variety of ways. We’ve had individuals stranded on a whole planet rather than a mere... Continue reading at Interesting Literature
[ Interesting Literature | 2024-07-10 14:00:26 UTC ]
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An epic fantasy inspired by Nigerian mythology, a found family wuxia fantasy, a historical fantasy set in the 1920s, and more of today's best science fiction and fantasy deals. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-07-01 14:30:00 UTC ]
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Science fiction and technological innovation feed off each other in an ongoing back-and-forth that can play out over decades. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2024-06-28 12:18:28 UTC ]
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What are your favorite science fiction novels that have yet to see a film adaptation? Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-06-27 10:30:00 UTC ]
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Get to know the Nebula Awards for science fiction and fantasy writing, with outstanding, must-read examples to pick up right now. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-06-21 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Photo by Arturo Villarrubia Science fiction writer Ted Chiang has won the 2024 PEN/Bernard and Ann Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story. The award is given each year to a writer who has “demonstrated exceptional achievement in the short story form.” Ted Chiang has published two... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-06-12 14:52:48 UTC ]
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In which Robin Sloan writes Moonbound—a science fiction book about science fiction—and our writer writes his way into total insanity. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-06-11 11:00:00 UTC ]
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An elaborate water trap, three generations of empathetic witches, a space thriller, and more of today's best science fiction and fantasy book deals. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-06-10 13:30:00 UTC ]
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The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of American (SFWA) has announced the winners of the 2023 Nebula Awards, one of SFF’s most prestigious honors, “given to the writers of the most outstanding speculative fiction works released in 2023.” Here are the winners: NOVEL Vajra Chandrasekera, The... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-06-10 12:14:36 UTC ]
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In a new book, the journalist and science fiction writer Annalee Newitz shows how we have used narrative to manipulate and coerce. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-06-05 09:05:03 UTC ]
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Four years after two Minneapolis specialty bookstores were destroyed amid unrest following George Floyd's murder, Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore and Uncle Edgar’s Mystery Bookstore are thriving in their new locations. Their owner, Don Blyly, is also celebrating his 50th anniversary as a... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-05-30 04:00:00 UTC ]
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"This list is a pretty balanced blend of science fiction and fantasy, spanning cultures and space, past and future, authors familiar and under-the-radar." Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-05-29 10:30:00 UTC ]
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Journalist Maria Ressa named Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk in speech at Hay literary festival in Powys“Tech bros” such as Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are “the largest dictators”, Maria Ressa, who won the Nobel peace prize in 2021 for her defence of media freedom, has said.The American-Filipina... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-05-27 15:11:47 UTC ]
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AI is being shoved into everything now, from laptops to kitchen appliances to celebrity gossip news. (No, none of that is an exaggeration.) The term is so ubiquitous that it’s fast becoming meaningless, just like “performative” or “green.” So, I’d like to thank Cooler Master for taking... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2024-05-22 14:28:16 UTC ]
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Out of this world deals on some of the best science fiction and fantasy–grab these excellent reads for under $3. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-05-20 13:30:00 UTC ]
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Here are the finalists for the 2024 Locus Awards honoring the best in science fiction and fantasy across several categories. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-05-13 14:32:10 UTC ]
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Over the last few days, heightened solar activity (and those heady geomagnetic storms) led to outages in the GPS navigation systems that guide some modern tractors from John Deere and other brands. 404 Media reported farmers have been told to pause using high-tech tractors that use GPS systems... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-05-13 11:15:58 UTC ]
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In this installment of What We're Listening To, Engadget writers and editors discuss some of the recent music releases we've had on repeat. It's safe to say there's some variety on this list. Sierra Ferrell - Trail of Flowers Sierra Ferrell seems almost like an anachronism in 2024, but in the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-05-11 14:30:52 UTC ]
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