Desert of the unreal : histories, futures, and industries of reality repair -- Realities otherwise : understanding VR by experiencing LA -- Tinseltown and technology : producing virtual reality in the dream factory -- Being and the other : dismantling the façade of the empathy machine -- Special affect : an empathy machine otherwise -- VR's feminine mystique : a technology of the #MeToo Moment -- making innovation women's work : storytelling and worldbuilding for a "tech" otherwise
Summary
"In the Land of the Unreal is an ethnography of virtual reality (VR) technologies and their associated industries in Los Angeles. Lisa Messeri analyzes the role of fantasy in technological endeavors: the fantasy of place where Los Angeles is a foil to Silicon Valley, the empathetic fantasy of being somewhere or someone else that is associated with virtual reality as a technology, and the fantasy of representation wherein VR could be led by women and others underrepresented and disenfranchised in adjacent industries. Taking as its premise the idea that virtual reality can help make sense of the world around us and influence our comprehension of reality, In the Land of the Unreal considers the global reality crisis that permeates anxieties emergent in VR development. In doing so, Messeri argues for a "tech otherwise" in the unique entertainment environment of Los Angeles that thinks beyond the constraints built by Big Tech"-- Provided by publisher
