Neal Stephenson’s “Fall; or, Dodge in Hell” (2019) is a festival of ideas centered on mind uploading and simulated realities.
After the three masterpieces “Snow Crash” (1992), “The Diamond Age” (1995), and “Cryptonomicon” (1999), this is the novel of Stephenson that I have enjoyed more.
Long story short, tech entrepreneur Richard “Dodge” Forthrast, previously featured in “Reamde” (2011), becomes the first human upload. Alone and initially selfless in his mindspace, which sits on a shapeless and chaotic bedrock of simulated reality, Dodge gradually recreates a “Bitworld” to live in.
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