A simulator has unexpected uses and consequences.

Really enjoyable cyberpunk novel written over 50 years ago, pondering the question "Are We Living in a Computer Simulation?" Just this year scientific american brought physicists and philosophers together to debate it. I can't believe it took me so long to get around to reading it.

Praticamente Matrix, The Truman Show e il Tredicesimo piano. La narrazione a tratti fa storcere il naso per qualche ingenuità. Poi ricordi che è stato scritto nel '76 e tutto è perdonato.

You know how they say that SF of today is insight into the world of tomorrow? While for several books I definitely would not like this to be the case (i.e. any cyber-punk or social dystopian novel, although current events seem to point towards different conclusion) for this book this statement is true.

Written in 1960's it is incredible how modern this book feels. Even technical details on i.e. electronic drums (old-style hard disks) sound and feel modern. Reason for this is very simple - author did not overload the reader with petty details. Everything is in the service of the story so human interaction is at the front. Everything else is in the background, used to build up the world but never taking the stage for itself. And this is reason why story remains modern. What might be novelty in 1960's for reader today all the technological descriptions sound pretty natural and common.

Story itself is excellent take on our world, inspired by famous Plato's cave - are we sure that we just see actual things or just their shadows, sort of echoes, playing in front of our eyes? Is the "cogito ergo sum" ultimate test for ones sanity?

I don't think there is something more destructive for a person from doubting the reality - is this in front of me real or not, just my perception stimulated by external source, whatever that might be. This type of thinking is a deadly spiral to the bottom because when touch with reality is lost it can only be re-established with great difficulty if ever. Some will embrace the theories of virtuality of their world while others will see no further purpose of living and just bungee jump into depression.

This topic can also be found in Matrix and movie from the same period, called "Thirteenth Floor'. When our protagonist (Doug Hall) starts realizing something weird is happening panic will take place because if his reality is under suspicion can he trust himself at all? Paranoia just creeps in.

Alongside the above, lets call it existential, story-line author manages to show how mass-population-control through various questionnaires (that are not optional but must be answered, I liked this twist :)) and finally simulations and testing on samples of population (by putting the selected set through various tests and prodding, sometimes just purely cruel and inhumane) will be a path taken by despots and wanna-be tyrants so they can manipulate the popular opinion and grab the power.

Book shows how these market-research companies are for all means and purposes very dangerous if left unchecked (and lets be honest how can they be controlled? very act of trying that would cause other issues of same gravity). Run by people who suffer from God-complex, who are automatons and completely devoid of empathy these companies can bring ruin, conflict and division in society (scenes of conflict between two .... well, to be honest since there is no better word, politically opposite populace groups and government alignment with one of them is so contemporary it is scary).

While world shown to us does not show any negative social elements (pestering pollster's aside) this is an ultimate dystopian world. Everything is quiet and at first looks normal until bad things start seeping in at the edge of ones sight.

I think we are already in the same situation as people described in this book, at mercy of various organizations that, playing untouchables, run very vile and cruel social experiments to collect data for future research. There is no creature anywhere in the universe more cold-blooded than these, true automatons that lost their humanity. It is on the rest to find a way to find way of preventing them from exerting full power over our lives.

Very good book, highly recommended.

reads a fair bit like dick. solid existential sci-fi