Movies and books are linked to the metaverse because they let us explore the idea of virtual reality. They also let us explore what it could mean for society.
The Matrix
In the 1999 blockbuster film “The Matrix”, the world turns out to be a simulated reality, a fake world made by computers. Machines made it to keep humans calm and docile. All the while, the machines use their bodies as a source of energy. The film’s writers and directors were the Wachowskis. They drew on a range of ideas from philosophy and religion. One is Jean Baudrillard’s idea of the “hyperreal”, where copies come to take the place of the real thing. Another is the Hindu idea of Maya, the illusion of the world we see.
Since the film came out, the matrix has become a popular metaphor for the internet and other digital tech. The film can also be read as a story of escape from systems of control.
The matrix and the metaverse are linked. Both are virtual realities that people reach through digital tech. But a metaverse is not simply a more advanced Matrix. The film imagines a simulation forced on people. Many virtual worlds, by contrast, let people choose an avatar and take part knowing what they are doing.
A virtual world can offer ways to create spaces or join them. But how open or democratic it is depends on who owns it and sets its rules. In the matrix, people are stuck in the world the machines made for them.
Ready Player One & Snow Crash
Ready Player One takes place in a world that is a lot like the metaverse in Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash. Ready Player One calls its virtual world the OASIS. Snow Crash calls its shared virtual space the Metaverse. The metaverse is a place where people can be anyone they want to be, and do anything they want to do.
The links between Ready Player One and Snow Crash go deeper than the surface. Both books explore what happens when people spend most of their time in a virtual world. One reading is that Ready Player One warns of virtual life taking the place of the real world. Snow Crash, on that reading, warns of threats that cross over between virtual spaces and society.
The plots take different routes. Snow Crash follows a threat that involves language, a drug and a computer virus. It is not about a treasure called the Metaverse Navigator. In Ready Player One, the treasure is an Easter egg, a prize hidden inside the OASIS. The metaverse is a fascinating idea. It’s no surprise that it has inspired both books and movies.
The metaverse gives us a glimpse of a future where people can escape the limits of the real world.
Bonus: Space Jam
In 1996, Space Jam was released to the world. The movie starred NBA superstar Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes characters. It quickly became a classic. People still talk about it and refer to it. Space Jam: A New Legacy followed in 2021. But what is it about this movie that has made it so popular?
I believe that the answer lies in the metaverse. The metaverse is a digital world that exists beyond our own. It’s a place where we can escape the daily struggles of our lives and just have fun.
And that’s exactly what Space Jam gives us. It takes us to a place where we can escape our reality and just have some fun. We get to see Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes characters team up against the evil aliens. We see them play basketball and win. The game is just as exciting as any real game of basketball.
That is part of Space Jam’s appeal to me.
The film lets us explore a new world and have some amazing adventures. It’s no wonder that Space Jam has become a classic.
Wrapping Up
Movies and books are linked to the metaverse because both are ways to escape reality. In the metaverse, you can be anyone you want to be and do anything you want to do. Movies and books let you do that too. But you’re limited to what the filmmakers or authors want you to do. The metaverse gives you more control over your own life. Movies give you more control over someone else’s life.
As we keep exploring the metaverse, we keep finding new ways to connect with others, and new virtual worlds to enjoy. Whether we are creating or exploring, we have more say there than a film or a book can give us.
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