Virtual Reality in World and Latvian Science Fiction

Abstract

The objective of this article is to examine the depiction of virtual
reality and the pertinent storytelling characteristics in science fiction
written by foreign and Latvian authors. In world science fiction, the
idea of virtual reality and computer-generated worlds as a particular
segment of reality appeared as early as after World War II, yet it
was after the evolution of a specific sci-fi subgenre, known as cyber-
punk, that it became especially popular. The novel ìNeuromancerî
by William Gibson (1984) is considered as the defining oeuvre of
this type of science fiction. Writers did, however, continue to study
virtual reality not only using the peculiar noir aesthetics pertaining
to cyberpunk, but also in works of a lighter character. Nowadays
the concept of virtual reality appears in YA [young adult ñ ed.]
literature dealing with topics related to computer gaming as well as
part of another popular science fiction branch, the dystopia. This
article looks into several acclaimed YA novels published in the recent
years and containing both computer-game related and dystopian
elements.
Until now, in the not-so-wide array of Latvian science fiction
the idea of virtual reality has received little attention, but this article
inspects the science fiction works written over the last five to six
years (2010ñ2016), in which virtual reality is assigned a comparatively
significant role, thus reflecting current global trends. This article
examines the different aspects of virtual reality explored in the works
of Latvian sci-fi writers and seeks and analyses the parallels of the
said works with the aforementioned universal tendencies ñ especially
regarding the dystopian traits.