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Work #881 · Mid

Snow Crash

Neal Stephenson
1992 · English
Cyberpunk speculative novel · Late-twentieth-century anglophone cyberpunk

Stephenson's 1992 cyberpunk novel — the Metaverse and viral linguistic-religious code

Attribute Fingerprint

Rows where works disagree are highlighted in gold. The full ontology grid is shown.

Attribute Snow Crash (Mid)
Time · Extent Infinite
Time · Ontological Status Substantival
Time · Grain Continuous
Time · Freedom Non-Deterministic
Time · Traversability Linear
Time · Dimensionality One
Time · Direction Uni-directional
Space · Extent Infinite
Space · Ontological Status Relational
Space · Curvature Flat
Space · Dimensionality Three
Space · Locality Non-Local
Matter · Extent Infinite
Matter · Ontological Status Substantival
Matter · Conservation Conserved
Matter · Dimensionality Three
Matter · Locality Non-Local
Observer · Time Instance Multiple
Observer · Space Instance Multiple
Observer · Knowledge Extent Partial
Observer · Knowledge Retainment Partial
Observer · Physicality Embodied
Observer · Agency Both
Observer · Number Plural
Observer · Metaphysical Agency None
Observer · Moral Authority Experience
Observer · Theological Method
Energy · Extent Infinite
Energy · Ontological Status Substantival
Energy · Conservation Conserved
Energy · Dispersibility Irreversible
Information · Ontological Status Substantival
Information · Cosmic Conservation Conserved
Information · Personal Conservation Conserved
Information · Granularity Discrete

Dimension-by-Dimension Evidence

What each work's passages reveal about its stance on each of the six dimensions.

Time

Snow Crash

The accelerated near-future time.

Space

Snow Crash

The dual physical/Metaverse space.

Matter

Snow Crash

The embodied body and the avatar.

Observer

Snow Crash

Hiro Protagonist across both worlds.

Energy

Snow Crash

Energies of linguistic-viral code.

Information

Snow Crash

The viral linguistic code — Snow Crash.

Internal Tensions

Where each work's argument pulls against itself.

Snow Crash

Stephenson's Snow Crash: foundational for cyberpunk; popularised "Metaverse"; central reference for contemporary VR/AR thinking.