Simulacra and Simulation

some, like, philosophical works.

Jean Baudrillard's Simulacra and Simulation, uh, is, uh, a, a work from, I think, 1981 that explores digital consciousness.

Yeah.

They were like, "You have, you all have to read this before you, we'll let you see the script," because they really wanted to make sure that everyone really understood-

Odriard in Simulation

and Simulacra specifically mentioned Disneyland.

Exactly.

I was about to say, Baudrillard is one of the few writers I can still sort of take from that period.

don't think they've ever acknowledged that.

They certainly acknowledge Baudrillard.

And of course, Neo keeps his software in a cut out, hollowed out version of Simulation and Simulacra.

But I don't think they ever acknowledged Philip K. Dick.

And along with that came Jean Baudrillard, a French theorist.

I think he released, was it 1981, I'm going to say? uh book simulacra and simulation um which talks about the simulacra now it i used to love critical theory i used to love reading about you know reading post-modernism and applying in fact my thesis was on post-modernism and uh because i did film degree uh in it was cyberpunk generally So it was William Gibson and it was Terminator, Skynet.

See, I'm way ahead of my time.

Yeah, very, very interesting.

[gentle music] Hey there, and welcome back to Seven Minute Books.

I'm Sam, and today we're cracking open a book that kinda broke my brain a little, Jean Baudrillard's Simulacra and Simulation.

So Sophie, what's the one sentence you'd use to sell this book to someone who's never heard of it?

Oh, easy.