Have you seen augmented reality described well in a novel?

[Tom]

Hello,

I did a search and I'm aware of this thread here:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I was wondering if anyone could recommend a novel where augmented reality is described particularly well. I think Verner Vinge did it well in Rainbows End as did Taiyo Fujii in Gene Mapper. Can anyone recommend a novel that made a similar attempt?

Better yet, has anyone described augmented reality in a way that you could imagine this:

https://vimeo.com/166807261

Link goes to a short video called 'Hyper Reality'

[Trike]

There is a series that fits exactly what you're looking for, but that guy has revealed himself to be so repulsive in his racism, misogyny and xenophobia that I refuse to recommend his work.

[Tom]

You tease! ;-)

[Empress]

I'd loved the way it was described in Prador Moon. More detailed then other of the author's books as the character was just being introduced to the augmentations.
However that virtual reality doesn't play such a major role as in the books in the above topic that you linked, but it is a big factor in all of the author's book. I believe that augmentation can do most of what was seen in the video posted but it is not used in such way and so extensively.

Btw love the video.

[AndrewP]

That's pretty much the way D-Space in Daniel Suarez's Freedom™ is described. (You have to read Daemon first though.)

[Tom]

Thanks Ellie, I'll take a look!

Thanks Andrew, I'd forgotten about D-Space, I mostly remembered the killer motorcycles from that series! I'll go back and review.

[Empress]

Hi Tom. I was thinking about your request and trying to remember more details from the book.

The augmentation described there allows you to build virtual reality, rather than creating one.
It's more of a brain augmentation and a instant connection with an AI and local networks. It also gives the ability to record and experience sensory information. It does allow you to pull information like a smartphone app, and you can link thorough it to external devises - like weapons, ships, etc.
You can also have build in body augmentations that can be controlled through that aug.

[Tom]

Hi Ellie, that sounds right up my alley. Even though it's priced high I went ahead and one-clicked the purchase, so it better be good! ;-)

There are now at least three types of new reality - Augmented, Virtual, and now Mixed. I think what Vinge and Fujii did is actually closer to Mixed Reality because the digital characters interact as if they are part of the physical environment. Today's Augmented Reality is more like Pokemon Go with digital characters in an overlay against the real world when viewed through a device screen.

I've been following the news for Magic Leap since they claim to be solving Mixed Reality (I think) which would be beyond cool.

[Empress]

Tom wrote: "...so it better be good! ;-)"

I've read only few of Asher's books and there might be better ones, but this one is a standalone (and shorter) so I figured it was safe to recommend. Now I'm worried you are not gonna like it! let me know what you think.

Also have you seen this TED talk? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGOE8...

[Tom]

Awwww, no worries! We pays our monies and we takes our risks! It's on my 'to read' list, I'll let you know!

Cool TED video. I have the Samsung Gear VR which is dependent on a phone, but it is still very convincing. Holograms look like a big step up.

[Taylor]

Try iBoy
really good

[Jacen]

The single best description I've ever seen of augmented reality was in This Alien Shore, but it wasn't the main focus of the book. Not really even a secondary focus, to be honest. But the descriptions of how it worked/how it was used stuck with me.

[Quantum]

cool. Daemon sounds good as does Gene Mapper. thx!

[Empress]

Me again. Thought this one might be of interest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nsbzf...

[Leon]

I haven't read it in ages and it never became as well-known as some other novels, but W.T. Quick's Dreams of Flesh and Sand was a favourite of mine. In fact, I'd really like to read it again if I can find it. Written in the late 80s, it never really became as popular as Neuromancer, to which it was inevitably compared.