Smart Pop Classics: What Is The Matrix?

In the Smart Pop Classics series, we share greatest hits from our throwback essay collections.

This week, media and cultural critic Read Mercer Schuchardt presents the definitive answer to the question “What is the Matrix?” in their piece from our very first Smart Pop book, Taking the Red Pill: Science, Philosophy and Religion in The Matrix .

Parable

While the stated reason for the early release and accelerated postproduction process of The Matrix was to beat the marketing hype that surrounded T...