Sotheby’s is auctioning off a NFT celebrating the 30th anniversary of the SciFi Classic Snow Crash

Back in 1994, sci-fi author Neal Stephenson published Snow Crash. In this sci-fi novel, Stephenson coined the term Metaverse, and in the three decades since its publication, Snow Crash is now considered a sci-fi classic. Many in the technology industry have read the novel, and although Stepehnson is widely known for his works of fiction, he is also known for his work in the technology sector. He served as Magic Leap’s Chief Futurist, has advised Blue Origin and most recently co-founded Lamina1 with crypto pioneer Peter Vessenes.

Now his work is coming to Web3. In partnership with Sotheby’s and Sir Richard Taylor’s WETA Workshop, the auction house is offering a range of unique, and sometimes bespoke, items from Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash archives and history, comprising physical and digital artefacts relating to the book.

The auction celebrates 30^th the anniversary of the release of Snow Crash, considered by many to be one of the pillars of the cyberpunk genre and one of the most important works of modern science fiction, as well as an influential source code from the metaverse to cryptocurrency, mobile computing to augmented reality, and much more. We spoke to Sir Richard Taylor about the auction.

Over the past 18 months, WETA has been working with Stephenson to prepare for this moment of cultural significance for the gaming and Metaverse industries. WETA worked with the sci-fi author to create a bespoke piece, a cultural and historical artifact, that derives from the unique mythology of his new and upcoming Snow Crash universe. This was done in the form of a Snow Crash-inspired sword, scabbard and display case. While it’s hard to fathom how bespoke this auction item is, the reality is that it has to be seen to be understood.

“The sword took us a year to make and is one of the finest crafts WETA has created,” said Sir Richard Taylor, founder of the WETA workshop. “The entire collection is then placed in a box from a fictitious gaming company which in theory has owned this sword which has now come up for auction. It’s an insane, inworld fusion of ancient craftsmanship with the digital age.”

Taylor adds that “The Swords Tansu storage case itself is an automated, internally powered, magnetically activated, very unique box, with hidden compartments, secret items, coded messages, and other special nods to the world that Neal has written.”

This auction will not only celebrate Stephenson’s work and the lore of Snow Crash, but may also serve as a springboard to further expand the Snow Crash universe. For Taylor, they are creating a body of creative work that blurs the line between the physical and the digital, which they have affectionately dubbed ‘Masterworks for the Metaverse’.

Of particular interest to the Web3 community is a unique NFT.

“A 1-to-1 digital twin of the physical Snow Crash Tachi sword that is a seamless blend of the virtual and the physical. Not only captures every detail of its physical twin identically, but also showcases the beauty of the sword’s physical materials and craftsmanship in a virtual environment. It is our hope that the NFT Snow Crash sword will be part of future transmedia developments that Neal is currently exploring,” highlighted Taylor.

The auctioned items include a never-before-seen original written and annotated original manuscript, an original Snow Crash book cover artwork, and a beautifully and masterfully designed and crafted Snow Crash Tachi Sword. A real item from the fictional world of Snow Crash.

“Snow Crash is set in both the physical and digital worlds, and to celebrate this we also created the digital twin of the Tachi sword in the form of an NFT. A highly accurate digital model, which not only identically captures every detail of it physical sword, it may also grant its wielder special abilities in a yet-to-be-revealed Neal transmedia project, Taylor says.

The auction ends on 6 March 2023 at 2 p.m. ET.