朱瑞旻

What metaverse means？ How is it connecting to cryptocurrencies （NFTs） and to our lives exactly？ We collected the best metaverse books， both fiction and non-fiction to introduce you to this epic vision， maybe the vision of our future.

Best Non-fiction Metaverse Books

The Metaverse： Unpacking The Hype， by Manuel Defi Robins （2022）

The Metaverse is the next evolution of the Internet. If you want to succeed in business， then you must prepare yourself and your business for this all-encompassing reality. This book will give you a deep understanding of what it means to live in The Metaverse， how it will affect every aspect of our lives， and how to prepare for its impact on your companys bottom line1.

The Metaverse is a reality that is built on top of another reality. On the one hand， all virtual worlds are built on top of the physical world （just think about games like Second Life or World of Warcraft）. On the other hand， we have our own digital environment （the internet） in which we live and use it to communicate， publish information and create content.

How will blockchain technology change this？ How will it change lives？ What opportunities lie in store for2 us？ In this book the author answers these questions， going into detail about how this technology works and what benefits it provides us.

The Metaverse： And How It Will Revolutionize Everything， by Matthew Ball （2022）

It is an introductory work about this whole metaverse phenomenon. The author claims that metaverse is the next step in the evolution of the Internet， moving from a web of information to a web of experiences. Venture capitalist Matthew Ball predicts that this new “Metaverse” will be the next wave of technological innovation， bringing an unprecedented level of value to our lives. The concept of metaverse will change our very definition of “reality，” influencing every industry and function3.

Metaverse： A Beginners Guide To The New Digital Revolution， by Kevin W. Allen （2022）

This book will explain the probable uses of Metaverse， how to create a new avatar on the Metaverse， the augmented and virtual reality effects， Metaverse investment guides， NFTs， cryptocurrency， and more.

The currently available metaverse applications offer a variety of opportunities， this book attempts to guide us where to start. If you are looking for very basic information this self-published metaverse books could be a good start.

The Augmented Workforce： How Artificial Intelligence， Augmented Reality， and 5G Will Impact Every Dollar You Make， by Cathy Hackl and John Buzzell （2021）127CF405-BA7B-47CF-A338-3B3B5F1F764A

A HR focused approach how metaverse and home office will impact our future working habits. Virtualism couldnt be stopped and this is what Facebook （Meta） also visualizes， bending4 border between the virtual and real office space.

This is the future of technology， and the businesses that embrace it will be the ones to succeed in the future. At the moment we connect via phone with each other， there is no more “end of work hours”. But this will further change in the near future. Hyper-connectivity and AR technologies will play big role in the future work places.

The Fourth Transformation： How Augmented Reality & Artificial Intelligence Will Change Everything， by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel （2016）

Ten years from now， the center of our digital lives will no longer be the smart phone， but gadgets that look like ordinary eyeglasses： except those glasses will have settings for virtual and augmented reality. What you really see and what is computer generated will be mixed so tightly together that we wont really be able to tell what is real. Scoble and Israel have written this book in the hope that it will serve as a business thinkers guidebook to the near future.

Best Fiction Metaverse Books

Ready Player One & Ready Player Two， by Ernest Cline （2011， 2020）

Ready Player One was really fun and interesting， full of 80s pop culture references， but I did get a little bogged down5 at the beginning. I enjoyed the story and really liked the way it was told. The story exists not only in form of a book but movie as well.

The concept of Oasis （the name of the metaverse in the book） was shockingly realistic， and played a huge part in the story. The main character， Wade and his friends were well developed， both in terms of emotions and personal goals. The story in the first book focuses mainly on small quests for the protagonists， in book two the metaverse concept was further developed and the author put together a great plot for this new episode.

Snow Crash， by Neal Stephenson （2000）

In Snow Crash， Neal Stephenson combines the visceral power of the action-adventure story， the intellectual appeal of futuristic speculative， and the outlaw sensibilities of the computer hacker to create a maturing vision of an America where realities collide. Set in a time when the United States is at war with a fundamentalist Islamic republic called the Caliphate， the novel follows the intersecting lives of Hiro Protag-onist， a motorcycle-riding warrior-hacker， and Y.T.， a teenage skateboarder and a brilliant but reckless hacker caught up in a war she does not understand.127CF405-BA7B-47CF-A338-3B3B5F1F764A

Lexicon， by Max Barry （2014）

Lexicon is a novel that shows how words have power over our minds and bodies well beyond what we might think. In a world where words influence peoples thoughts and actions， it impacts how we communicate with each other in daily life. Lexicon explores the true human nature， vulnerability， and our desires for privacy. This novel causes you to think about the way society treats technology at large6， and how much power it has to change us just as much as we want to change.

Enders Game， by Orson Scott Card （1985）

Recruited by officials for intensive training， Ender begins his new life full of surprises. He thinks he is merely joining the military academy but instead he has been recruited for Command School， a temporary battle training simulation. Ender trains rapidly and proves to be exceptionally talented in his new home！

Orson Scott Cards original story strongly connects to the metaverse concept. The military training program， where the candidates have to successfully solve several military simulations is so real and lifelike that from readers points of view you couldnt identify the difference between simulation and reality.

“元宇宙”指什么？元宇宙与加密货币（非同质化代币）有什么关系，又跟我们的生活究竟有什么关系？以下是有关元宇宙的一些图书佳作，既有虚构的也有非虚构的，带您了解这个非凡的愿景，或许那就是我们的未来。

非虚构类佳作

《元宇宙：拨开迷雾》（2022），曼纽尔·德菲·罗宾斯

元宇宙是互联网发展的下一个阶段。要想生意兴隆，您自己和企业就必须准备好面对这个包罗万象的现实。本书将使您深入了解：生活在元宇宙中意味着什么，元宇宙将如何影响生活的方方面面，以及如何准备应对元宇宙对公司盈亏的影响。

元宇宙是基于另一种现实的现实。一方面，所有虚拟世界都基于物质世界（想想《第二人生》《魔兽世界》等游戏就知道了）。另一方面，我们拥有自己的数字环境（互联网），生活在其中，并依托其交流、发布信息和创作内容。

区块链技术将如何改变这一情况？它将如何改变生活？我们将面临哪些机遇？本书对这些问题作出回答，详细解读了区块链技术的工作原理及其带来的好处。

《元宇宙：一切将随之巨变》（2022），马修·鲍尔

这是关于整个元宇宙现象的入门書。作者指出，元宇宙是互联网发展历程中的下一个阶段，从信息之网转向体验之网。风险投资家马修·鲍尔预测，新的“元宇宙”将引领下一波技术创新浪潮，使我们的人生意义达到前所未有的高度。元宇宙概念将改变我们对“现实”的界定，影响各行各业。

《元宇宙：新数字革命的入门指南》（2022），凯文·W.艾伦

本书将阐述元宇宙的潜在用途、在元宇宙创建虚拟新形象的方式、增强现实和虚拟现实效果、元宇宙投资说明、非同质化代币、加密货币等等。

现有的元宇宙应用程序提供了种种机会，而本书旨在带我们入门。如果您正在寻找很基础的信息，不妨先读读这本个人出版的元宇宙图书。

《增强的劳动力：人工智能、增强现实和5G将如何影响你赚的每一块钱》（2021），凯茜·哈克尔和约翰·巴泽尔

本书主要从人力资源的视角看元宇宙和居家办公将如何影响未来的工作习惯。虚拟主义势不可挡，而这也是脸书（更名为Meta）所设想的，打破虚拟和现实办公空间的界线。

这就是技术的未来，热烈欢迎它的企业将是未来的赢家。目前，我们靠电话相互联系，不再有“下班时间”。但在不久的将来，这种情况会进一步改变。在未来的工作场所，超级互联和增强现实技术将大有作为。

《第四次转型：增强现实和人工智能将如何改变一切》（2016），罗伯特·斯科布尔和谢尔·伊斯雷尔

十年后，数字生活的中心将不再是智能手机，而是普通眼镜模样的小玩意儿，区别在于这些“眼镜”将有各种虚拟现实和增强现实设置。目睹的景象和计算机生成的画面将充分融合，我们甚至难以分清什么是真实的。作者斯科布尔和伊斯雷尔希望，这本书能作为商业思想家了解不久的将来的指南。

虚构类佳作

《玩家1号》（2011）和《玩家2号》（2020），欧内斯特·克莱因127CF405-BA7B-47CF-A338-3B3B5F1F764A

《玩家1号》十分诙谐有趣，充满20世纪80年代流行文化的“梗”，但一开始我确实读得有点儿吃力。我既喜欢这个故事本身，也真心喜欢讲故事的方式。这个故事不仅出了书，还改编成了电影。

书中构想的元宇宙名为“绿洲”，格外逼真，在故事中占据极大篇幅。主角韦德及其朋友无论是情感还是人生目标都塑造得十分到位。《玩家1号》的大部分内容是主角们完成小任务的经历，《玩家2号》中，元宇宙的概念进一步丰富，作者为这部系列新作构建了宏大的故事情节。

《雪崩》（2000），尼尔·斯蒂芬森

在《雪崩》中，尼尔·斯蒂芬森将动作冒险类故事的本能力量、未来派幻想故事的思维魅力及计算机黑客的反叛意识揉捏在一起，绘制了一幅日臻成熟的美国愿景，多种现实在其中相互碰撞。小说把时间设定于美国与原教旨主义伊斯兰共和国“哈里发国”的交战期，讲述了主角阿弘和Y. T. 错综交织的生活——阿弘是骑摩托车的武士兼黑客，而Y. T. 是一个踩滑板的少女黑客，聪明但莽撞，卷入了一場她并不理解的战争。

《魔字》（2014），马克斯·巴里

小说《魔字》展现了语言文字对身心远超想象的影响力。在语言文字可以影响人们思想和行为的世界，它也会影响人们日常生活中的沟通方式。《魔字》探讨真实人性、弱点和对隐私的渴望。这部小说促使人思考社会对待整个技术的态度，认识到技术改变人类的强大力量毫不逊色于我们追求改变的强烈愿望。

《安德的游戏》（1985），奥森·斯科特·卡德

安德应军官征召接受高强度训练，开始了他充满意外的新生活。他以为自己只是加入了军事学院，但其实他被招入了指挥学校，这是一个临时战斗训练演习场。安德迅速投入训练，并在新家证明了自己拥有过人天赋！

奥森·斯科特·卡德的这部原创故事与元宇宙的概念紧密相关。候选指挥官必须在军事训练科目中打赢若干次模拟战斗，过程十分逼真，以致读者无法分辨模拟和现实之间的区别。

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖者）

1 bottom line财务报表中最末一行标明的净收益或净损失。此处代指盈亏状况。

2 in store for降临到……身上，将要发生于……。  3 function职业，工种。

4 bend强行改变（方向或形状等）。

5 bog down耽搁，使……陷入困境。

6 at large作为整体地，就普遍情况而言地。127CF405-BA7B-47CF-A338-3B3B5F1F764A