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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 companies—from Meta to Epic Games—recast 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.
Benjamin Beil (Prof. Dr.) is a professor of media studies and digital culture at the department of media culture and theatre at Universität zu Köln. His research interests include game studies, inter- and transmediality, digital media in museums, and participatory cultures.
Gundolf S. Freyermuth (Prof. Dr.) is a professor of media and game studies and co-director of the Cologne Game Lab at TH Köln. He is also an associate professor of comparative media studies at ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln.
Isabelle Hamm (M.A.) is a research assistant at the department of media culture and theatre at Universität zu Köln. Her research interests lie in the field of museology, digital art mediation and virtual exhibitions.
Vanessa Ossa (Dr.) works as postdoctoral researcher and project coordinator for the Cologne Game Lab at TH Köln. Her research interests include transmedial storytelling, characters in participatory culture, comic cultures, and fandom.