The Novels of Neal Stephenson: Science, Literature, Ethics

Catalog description

Neal Stephenson may be best known for his 1992 novel, Snow Crash, which was inspirational to many pioneers of Silicon Valley. This course explores the interface of the novel with the history of science across the Stephensons work. We will ask a number of questions about the power of literary narrative to address the ethical questions raised by the development of technology; and about the power of narrative to not only represent the world but to elaborate new forms of life on the basis of technological advancements.