“Neal Stephenson的鉆石時代:或者,一本年輕女士插圖入門”主要關註同名電子書閱讀器。
At the age of four, Nell receives a stolen copy of an
interactive book, Young Lady's Illustrated Primer: a Propædeutic
Enchiridion in which is told the tale of Princess Nell and her
various friends, kin, associates, &c., originally intended for
an aristocrat's child in the Neo-Victorian New Atlantis phyle. The
story follows Nell's development under the tutelage of the Primer,
and to a lesser degree, the lives of Elizabeth and Fiona, girls who
receive similar books. The Primer is intended to steer its reader
intellectually toward a more interesting life, as defined by
"Equity Lord" Alexander Chung-Sik Finkle-McGraw, and growing up to
be an effective member of society. The most important quality to
achieving an "interesting life" is deemed to be a subversive
attitude towards the status quo. The Primer is designed to react to
its owners' environment and teach them what they need to know to
survive and develop.
有趣的是,這本書幾乎肯定啟發了真實世界電子書閱讀器的發展......