{"product_id":"as-if-modern-enchantment-and-the-literary-prehistory-of-virtual-reality-paperback","title":"As If: Modern Enchantment and the Literary Prehistory of Virtual Reality - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eMichael T. Saler\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMany people throughout the world \"inhabit\" imaginary worlds communally and persistently, parsing Harry Potter and exploring online universes. These activities might seem irresponsibly escapist, but history tells another story. Beginning in the late nineteenth century, when Sherlock Holmes became the world's first \"virtual reality\" character, readers began to colonize imaginary worlds, debating serious issues and viewing reality in provisional, \"as if\" terms rather than through essentialist, \"just so\" perspectives. From Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos and Tolkien's Middle-earth to the World of Warcraft and Second Life, \u003cem\u003eAs If\u003c\/em\u003e provides a cultural history that reveals how we can remain enchanted but not deluded in an age where fantasy and reality increasingly intertwine.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMichael Saler\u003c\/strong\u003e is Professor of History at the University of California, Davis.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 304\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.9 x 9.1 x 6.1 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e January 09, 2012\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51753940877600,"sku":"9780195343175","price":95.76,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/736d4cd5f10373a248e08f3eedf3ce0a.webp?v=1780029996","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/as-if-modern-enchantment-and-the-literary-prehistory-of-virtual-reality-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}