This weekend I finished re-reading Snow Crash, the seminal 1992 cyberpunk novel by Neal Stephenson that was a central inspiration for the virtual world Second Life. Snow Crash is in my top five sci-fi novels and I have re-read it several times over the years. But its been at least five years since I have lost myself in the strange adventures of Hiro Protagonist and Y.T. in a dystopian Southern California landscape.
Coincidentally, 3pointD broke the news that SL marketing company Rivers Run Red is working on a virtual version of the novel to be distributed in-world. Why anyone would want to read a virtual book in this fashion is beyond me. It's just a completely backwards implementation of a immersive 3D environment trying to be exactly like the real world.
Now, if they go ahead and re-create the "Black Sun" hackers club or a Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong franchise or the Raft, then we're talking fun. I'll be the first to strap on my katana, power up Reason and rezz in.
