Inspired by Chazbot's comment to Bookman's request for suggestions to reach a teenager, I re-read an old favorite, Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash. While Stephenson's depiction of the Metaverse is not quite like the modern web, some aspects are eerily accurate (the Librarian:Google and Earth:Google Earth). Pop-up ads, virtual dates, and software support are all described in a book written five years before Mosaic and the World Wide Web were even invented.
As prescient as the metaverse segments are, the best part of Stephenson's vision is the continuous description of urban sprawl in the form of burbclaves, franchises, and the ever present loglo. Every time I drive down a major road here in the Treasure Valley, the neon haze of fast food joints, gas stations, big box stores, and home-improvement warehouses cause me to mentally flash into the world of Hiro Protagonist. I want to grab a 'Poon and surf the 'crete behind a bimbo box.
Besides, any popular fiction book that is capable of teaching you the basics of Sumerian mythology/religion while including katana duels deserves at least a glance.
Chad
Friday, July 28, 2006
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2 comments:
Can I get a witness? Believe it or not, I hadn't read Snow Crash until late last year; I was in danger of being expelled from Geekdom for this lapse.
Great vision of the various trends in our world (commercialism, evangelism, polarization) turned up to 11 on the dial all at once.
By far, my favorite part is the opening sequence. The deliverator is just a cool sounding name.
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