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Part homage to previous XR concepts, part homage to 1980’s geek culture, Cline’s novel doesn’t break any new technological ground. That said it is an excellent examination of how monolithic corporations can use XR technology to control a population. The movie version is a decent interpretation, but the book is a much better experience.

Part homage to previous XR concepts, part homage to 1980’s geek culture, Cline’s novel doesn’t break any new technological ground. That said it is an excellent examination of how monolithic corporations can use XR technology to control a population. The movie version is a decent interpretation, but the book is a much better experience.

Part homage to previous XR concepts, part homage to 1980’s geek culture, Cline’s novel doesn’t break any new technological ground. That said it is an excellent examination of how monolithic corporations can use XR technology to control a population. The movie version is a decent interpretation, but the book is a much better experience.

This novel is not for the feint of heart, which might explain why it not so well known. Noon invasions what may be one of the most incredibly bizarre forms of XR in all fiction. "Vurt feathers" are used enter a virtual reality experience, akin to a drug-induced shared hallucination. These feathers come in different colors, each providing a unique immersive experience, blurring the lines between the physical and digital worlds. The novel's focus on the consequences and addictive nature of these virtual experiences is prescient of the addictive nature of gaming environments we already see today using even simple digital devices.

“Ghosts” are human sensoriums that inhabit augmented or fully artificial human bodies and can instantly move between the real world and virtual worlds. Although the anime series based on the books is excellent (I left it off because I wanted to include the book) Shire’s manga masterpiece is visually striking, fantastic yet hyper-realistic, and frighteningly prophetic. From a user interface perspective, Shire creates immersive environments that you feel compelled to try and understand, even while you know they would never actually pass any usability tests.

“Ghosts” are human sensoriums that inhabit augmented or fully artificial human bodies and can instantly move between the real world and virtual worlds. Although the anime series based on the books is excellent Shire’s manga masterpiece is visually striking, fantastic yet hyper-realistic, and frighteningly prophetic. From a user interface perspective, Shire creates immersive environments that you feel compelled to try and understand, even while you know they would never actually pass any usability tests.

Gibson had already imagined a prophetic cyberpunk future in his short stories “Burning Chrome” and “Johnny Neumonic”, but it was with Neuromancer (the first book in what would become “The Sprawl Trilogy”)
that he realized his visions of the potential repercussions and societal impact of advanced technological integration and the ethical and practical implications of not only XR but also AI technology. Despite a few lapses in foresight (people are still using pay-phones) the book is prescient of technologies unintended consequences, many of which we are struggling with today.

Gibson had already imagined a prophetic cyberpunk future in his short stories “Burning Chrome” and “Johnny Neumonic”, but it was with Neuromancer (the first book in what would become “The Sprawl Trilogy”) that he realized his visions of the potential repercussions and societal impact of advanced technological integration and the ethical and practical implications of not only XR but also AI technology. Despite a few lapses in foresight (people are still using pay-phones) the book is prescient of technologies unintended consequences, many of which we are struggling with today.

This is the most important book you could read this year. The authors expertly explain how the technocracy is growing and how we will not be the beneficiaries of that future.