I know this last question is late but with finals and my depression trying to accomplish things has been rough. But time to talk about Snow Crash. Personally I enjoyed the book. I found it thrilling, exciting and funny. I know many people were upset with the sexual references but that is not the point of the book. It is only a part of the narrative. But the point of the book was to offer a look into the future and I believe that Stephenson’s view of the future is a plausible one. Obvious I’m not suggesting that all girls get dentata, but I could see private franchises running the world and the creation of a “metaverse”. First of all there is something like the metaverse now, the Internet. Furthermore, the private sector is growing. With the decrease in regulation in the past 20 years, new doors were opening for the private corporations. If the trend continues then some corporations will have the wealth to create their own private city states. With a trend towards a more laissez faire society, the idea of McDonalds creating its own sub nation in California is not too far fetched.
Looking at this point through a modern lens, it is scary to think that this was written in 1992. With things like Second Life and Playstation’s Home, a metaverse liked described in Snow Crash is being created. The power of private corporations and franchises have risen. About 16 year after this was written, most of the ideas Stephenson talks about are coming true in some form or another. Since parts of the Snow Crash future are already coming true, it is not unreasonable to see the Snow Crash world as a possibility for the future.
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yes, the power of private corporations and franchises have risen. But do you think it will continue to do so? I think the private businesses having more influence is in the normal economic cycle. Look at the bail-out and government intervention in the economy, a few years ago no one would have thought that would happen.
Even with private corporations and franchises having more power i think Snow Crash is an extreme example, i don't think it could happen
Syd: You might be right that the power of the state is cyclical. It probably peaked in the United States during the New Deal and Great Society era. The question is exactly how far the power of the state decreases before swinging back up again. Consider the "company towns" of the early twentieth century, where cities were privately rather than publicly controlled.
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