On the Metaverse in literary, media, and cultural history, as well as investigations of recent technical, social, cultural, and economic applications.

Neal Stephenson's 1992 novel Snow Crash conceived of the Metaverse as an escapist medium within a dystopian future. By the early 2000s, his vision had evolved into a blueprint for pioneering virtual worlds, notably Second Life. In the 2010s, technology companiesfrom Meta to Epic Gamesrecast the Metaverse as the next frontier of digital experience and revenue generation. Now, in the 2020s, the still speculative concept encompasses a convergence of extended reality technologies alongside blockchain systems and artificial intelligence. This volume brings together leading scholars and industry professionals to examine past imaginations and recent achievements in the pursuit of the Metaverse. Contributors trace its development through literary, media, and cultural history while exploring current applications and their technical, social, cultural, and economic implications.

Autorentext
Benjamin Beil ist Professur für Medienwissenschaft mit Schwerpunkt Digitalkulturen am Institut für Medienkultur und Theater der Universität zu KölnGundolf S. Freyermuth (Prof. Dr.) ist Professor für »Media and Game Studies« und Co-Director des Cologne Game Lab an der TH Köln. Außerdem ist er außerordentlicher Professor für Vergleichende Medienwissenschaften an der ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln.Isabelle Hamm ist wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin an der Universität Osnabrück und lehrt dort Museologie und digitale Kunstvermittlung.