Virtual Reality Books

+4 stars for such wonderful coverage of the topic. All the key attributes, major tradeoffs, and challenges are covered simply and completely.

+1 more for the *fantastic* book cover. Look at this thing, it's absolutely hilarious.

I have yet to find another text with as complete and thoroughly easy-to-understand treatment of distributed simulation as NetVE. Where is the next edition? Surely Singhal & Zyda have more wisdom to share.

This is the only book that I know of that is dedicated to networked virtual environments. This is a systems level book, so if you are looking for code listings or tons of algorithms, you will be disappointed. The author assumes that you have already obtained a basic knowledge of computer graphics, network programming, and virtual reality. This book simply integrates these sciences into the discussion of the trade-offs and decisions that must be made at a high level if you wish to design a networked virtual environment. Chapters one and two are suitable for non-technical people to read since they are discussing the promise and the origin of networked VE's. Chapter 3, "A Networking Primer", is mainly discussing networking protocols in the context of which one is best to use in particular VE situations. If you know nothing about computer networking before you read this chapter, it will leave you totally confused. Chapter 4 entitled "Communication Architecture" discusses client-server versus peer-to-peer architectures for multi-user environments and which does best in different situations. As with Chapter 3, if you do not already have an understanding of computer networking, this chapter will probably leave you confused. Chapter 5, " Managing Dynamic Shared State", discusses the issue of maintaining shared state among various hosts in a networked VE. Bandwidth, computation, latency, data consistency, and reproducibility are all discussed. To understand this chapter it would help to have had a course in operating systems on the graduate level, although, as with previous chapters, the discussion is kept at a high level. Chapter 6, "Systems Design", discusses the fundamental software architecture issues in the development of networked virtual environments. The issues covered include thread allocation for multi-threaded environments, real-time rendering and collision detection, and computational resource management. In this chapter it would help if the reader was familiar with the concepts of threads as well as computer graphics. Although the discussion is kept at a systems level, this chapter is more technical than the others, and the point of the discussion is to achieve as much of a sense of realism for the VE user as possible. Chapter 7, "Resource Management for Scalability of Performance", is even more technical than chapter six and gets down to a lower level of discussion with pseudocode being shown. The purpose of the chapter has to do with "scaling" your design so that it works equally well for small and large numbers of users. Chapter 8, "Internet Networked Virtual Environments", shows its age more than the previous chapters in that it has a pretty extensive discussion of VRML which has now become pretty much obsolete. The chapter acts as an examination of internet-based virtual environments. Also note that many of the websites shown as part of the bibliography of the chapter are now dead links due to the age of the book and the obsolescence of VRML. Chapter 9, "Perspectives and Predictions", is the final chapter of the book, and looks at the past, present, and future of networked VE's. However the "present" for this book is 1999, so this chapter has limited usefulness. This book was a five star book when it was published in 1999, and it still has many good insights, but the amount of time that has passed since its publication is starting to make it beg for a second edition. For this reason only do I subtract a single star from its rating and give it four stars. For a more recent treatment of virtual environment system design you might want to read "Designing Virtual Reality Systems : The Structured Approach" by Kim, which was published in August 2005.

This is an EXCELLENT book. Appropriate for beginners and experts in the Network VE area. Has good coverage both of technical and non-technical issues. Easy to read, informative, and presents many of the original contributions of the authors.

Provides a good grounding in issues that must be addressed by anyone embarking upon the development of massive multiplayer games. It also represents the laying of one of the first foundations of knowledge necessary for the building of cyberspace.

World Leader Pretend is a novel populated by people that are funny and clever and tragic. It's a story told in a world fueled by hopefulness and misery, a world where continents seem to be endlessly torn apart and thrust back together--our world. Some of the characters in this novel hand out trust like free pull tokens for a seedy casino; some of them aren't even sure the sun will ever come up again. The stakes are high, in the game and in the world. Not everyone can win. Some people are going to lose everything they have--some are going to get back something that they lost.
Frost tells the story with a crisp modern style, and he has a way of using a phrase the way another writer might use a single word that I loved. He's written an inventive book full of persistent images and surprising changes. A terrific read.

I loved this book. I'm kind of a lazy book shopper - I typically only buy books that certain friends have recommended or that have received (or nearly received) awards - because I don't have time to read bad books. But something made me pick up this book, read a few paragraphs, and buy it ... and I'm super glad that I did. The story is engaging, the characters are interesting, and the prose extremely well-written. I'm used to reading books with little gold seals on them ... and with any luck, World Leader Pretend will soon be one of those.

The Realm is the fictional on-line world vividly created by author James Bernard Frost in his first novel World Leader Pretend. It is a naked peak into the cyber-lives of otherwise ordinary people. Who would you be if you could be anyone else? How many orcs can you take down with how many troops? How's your Queen, your Wizard, your Dragons? And what about the pesky thing called "Real Life"? Which one is more important to you?

I don't play games like this but I have often wondered about them and who it is that has so many free hours that they disappear into their computers. Frost is a madman. I like this book. Buy it.

It's not easy for me to review a friend's book, especially fiction (as you'll see from my other reviews, I've exclusively posted reviews of non-fiction). I've known Jim for about a dozen years so it was kind of a guilty voyeuristic experience to read the book and try to pry out the biographical from the pure flights of fancy.

Some of the objective reasons why I think it's a worthwhile read and why others may love it as much as I did:

- the writing style and observations are very quirky and catch you off-guard. Without fraying, the plot weaves between multiple points of view, locations and story lines. It is complex but coherent.
- the characters each really have something special about them. They are presented in a consistent manner throughout and remain true to themselves and their journey. Each one speaks, thinks and behaves both in the virtual world of the game they are playing and in the "so-called real world" in a way that is truly genuine. The characters have their limitations and flaws and moments of sef-reflection.
- the underlying message seems to be that we matter, all of us. That our thoughts and actions, whether online or in-person, have ripple effects and form bonds with other lives. In this last respect, I was reminded of Malcolm Gladwell's THE TIPPING POINT and BLINK where the social impacts of individual actions and the power of context on the individual are described.

It was a really engrossing experience to stay up almost all night reading WORLD LEADER PRETEND and feeling that giddy unreality that gamers experience after pulling an all-nighter with head buried in some virtual world.

This book lures the reader into the world of anonymous internet relationships in contrast with relationships in the real world, in complete honesty. The book describes how much easier it is to converse and interact with people who are literally virtual and how this affects one's real-life social relationships. The characters are strikingly unique, interesting and full of grit. The detail leaves you entranced. A book full of characters you want to know everything about and then some.

With the progression of human culture in the digital age developing as it is, it's intriguing to look back at even the recent past and see where we've been and where we were thought to be going. The collection of writings in this volume are invaluable and often shockingly ahead of their time. Anyone who expects to be successful in the future - in this ever-evolving digital world - would benefit by reading this book, and sooner rather than later.

I had to get this book for a class, but am very happy I was introduced to these theories. I'd recommend it for anyone interested in the topic of where online media is going.

From Futurist Cinema, to artificial intelligence, to cyberspace, this collection highlights the origins of multimedia, its influences, its directions, and its future possibilities. It includes an insightful and comprehensive introduction by Packer and Jordan themselves, and the authors they have chosen to include in this work reflect the vast landscape of multimedia in its many iterations: Vannevar Bush, William Gibson, Norbert Wiener, John Cage, and Janet Murray, just to mention a few. This book is a must-have for anyone interested in peeking below the surface of multimedia evolution.

Reading this collection of articles gave me a better understanding of the people and ideas that helped shape computer-based communication. The contributors are for the most part well chosen; a few that I might well have done without, I must admit -- but far more excellent choices than "questionable" ones. The organization of the book is interesting as well. I was reminded of the magazine "Mondo 2000" that I subscribed to in the early '90's (multimedia/geek chic).

This book is a must read for anyone interested in modern art and culture, and where its going. The companion web site on www.artmuseum.net is a brilliant compliment to the book, with 50 video clips, rare photos and other treats. Finally, a publishing project that "gets it" how to use the web + printed book in a way where the sum is greater than the parts. Its amazing to see how long artists and scientists have been working (alone, and in some cases together) towards this goal. Prehaps the following decade will witness a true "waking up" by the mass culture to this new syntax, new reading-practice, of multi-media hyper-texted information. This book may mark a point in time where we started acknowledging the depth and extent of our post-Guttenburg world. Bravo to Randall Packer and Ken Jordon for pulling this project off.

Think you know it all about the 'trix cummer, guess again. You dont know drek but this book could change that. "Virtual Realities 2.0" is the most extinsive matrix suplament published by fasa. A great addition to any deckers library.

VR 2.0 is a definite must for any campaign incorporating deckers, and FASA's views of it greatly reducing the time matrix runs take (everyone who uses the old system has rented a flic while the decker is navigating through rough diagrams that look like crumpled spiders) are just. However, the amount of setup (beforehand) time in character creation is greatly increased, and a decent eratta sheet has yet to be published. Start bringing that calculator to gaming groups...

This book is an absolute must if you incorporate decking in your Shadowrun campaign. Never again will the decker character feel left out while he decks and the rest of you go for pizza. This new(er) rules supplement brings decking into real time gaming with a vengeance.

Now everyone will want a datajack........

There are three books that are "must haves" in the SR world, and this is one of them, with the other two being the main rule-book and Rigger2.

Sure, you can run a campaign with just the BBB (Big Black Book, aka main rulebook) but why? Add in the spice of the decker, give him a place in the group. Combine this with the Rigger book and you have a well matched system. GMs! Give your deckers a reason to exist, buy this book and scare them out of the matrix!

VRII is an excellent book. Throw away everything you knew about the old matrix rules before you pick this up, as almsot everything is different. You still have the same ICE types (Trace, Killer, etc) but they have added a few more surprises.

The biggest change is actually how the Matrix works. Instead of just a generic number of successes to get something done, you have Target numbers for ACIFS (Access, Control, Index, File, and Slave), with your programs reducing the TNs. Want to log on? Look at the Access rating, reduce it by your Sleaze, and viola, you're in.

The artwork does leave some to be desired (the Virtual Reality guide in VRI is better then the one in this book and the black and white artist doesn't seem to be able to draw a straight line to save his life). and there are a few places were the rules get sketchy (such as Scramble IC and in depth detail into the Otaku) and that can get annoying, but overall the rules are excellent.

If you have people who want to be deckers, this is a MUST have. It will speed things up and make the game a lot more fun for both the GM and the players.

PS: I have had a chance to speak to the author, Paul Hume, as he once assisted us on the Shadowrun MUX on the Internet. Very nice guy :)

This book is a 'must' for those of us in the field of architecture + media + computers.

This book is great! It is really a 'must' for those of us in the area of architecture + media + computers.

Visit bitsandspaces.ethz.ch to get a first impression of the books contents, and then try to imagine the best book possible made out of this material. This is what you will get.

At first I wasn't sure what to think upon opening this book, but now I'm very glad that I took the chance to get it. Everything about the book from the layout to its graphic design to the interactivity of the content (which is greatly enhanced by the impressive cd-rom included with the book)is a step above. As far as content goes the book contains a great deal of provocative thought. It offers the reader a glimpse of what is and what could be for the future of architecture and design professions in general. The title could be a bit misleading because it isn't so much about CAD in the strictest sense as it is about the inevitable interaction and meshing of architecture, computers, and current and future technologies that may very well offer a different kind of architecture than what we know today. The fact that it is a book that has been very recently published and includes relatively up to date information (including projects from the year 2000) is also a definite plus considering the fast and furious rate of technological progress we're experiencing. All in all, a great book. Futurist thinkers will not regret this buy.

This was really a great book. I like science fiction books a lot and this book was better than most. I would love to see a sequel or even a movie made of this book. I liked when Max went on the run from the internet people. If Mr. Riordon has written other books, I really would like to read them. I would recommend this book to other teens.

The Dark Net weaves its story through a virtual underworld, following the saga of Max, a programmer. His project was the experimental education of two virtual penguins, Linus and Minus, by reward and punishment respectively. When a student dies mysteriously, the hero, Max, is called upon to clean out his virtual office. Amid whispers of the legendary Doomsday virus, Max's discoveries lead him into the Dark Net, a virtual underworld of villainous people dealing in black market programs. A little-known group of Luddites who shun technology offer him shelter as he is drawn into the plans of the wicked and powerful.

I thoroughly enjoyed the imagination of the novel from the epileptic protagonist and the eroticized office assistants (created by grad students, of course) to the the virtual reality vision of the Web and the religious fervor of the Luddites. And the lively presence of the penguin Linus.

James stop reading ;-)

(this is the negative portion) Any of you Galaxy Quest fans? Remember that scene where Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver have to go through ridiculously dangerous contraptions to get to the Omega-13, and they point out that there's not a good reason for the booby-traps? Occasionally, I had that feeling about areas of the Dark Net. On the other hand, I have no idea what virus-makers get out of infecting my computer, so maybe it's completely reasonable that such dangers exist.

Other than that, I would have liked to hear more about the background of the Luddite group during the story rather than getting it all on the end. I think that the already interesting history could have been further developed and woven into earlier chapters.

James, you can read again.

But to end with something good -- the conclusion was excellent and completely blind-sided me (but then it made so much sense...).

Not many real science fiction books are written anymore. The Dark Net isn't just your romance-clothed-in-shiny-steel-with-laser-guns book, or your Klingon-speaking-gotta-read-the-series science fiction novel. This is a _good book_. Remember Ender's Game? 1984? Fahrenheit 541? The Dark Net is that kind of book, one that you can read over and over again and find something new, something meaningful.

That's not to say The Dark Net is a serious treatise on the state of the world. But it's worth reading if you like to read.

Riordon has written an adventure in the internet, a science-based story, a pulp thriller that gives the reader something to think about.

The story winds through ordinary life, the virtual world-to-come, the isolated portions of the internet, and a weird farm in the Pennsylvania hills. (Actually, I could totally dig the Freedom Club if they weren't sofa king Ayn Rand about it.)

This book may never be on the syllabus of any Lit Crit classes (though I could write "The Significance of the Color Green in Riordon's The Dark Net" or "Penguins and Boats: Lost and Found in the Void of Riordon's The Dark Net"). But heck, that's probably what they said about Dickens too. Riordon's novel, originally published on a blog, is like Dickens' serialized newspaper novels, and the format of the life-as-it-happens writing method makes the story's plot a lot like real life. Max's end isn't obvious from the beginning. Sometimes he winds up in places he never could have anticipated. But I enjoyed being there with him (well, sometimes it was really sad.)

And that's what I like to see in a book. Shogun, Clan of the Cave Bear, Harry Potter: they're not literature or anything but they sure are great to read.

I brought this book with me on a trip to visit family over the holidays and could NOT put it down (to the detriment of quality family-time). But man, that was the best trip I had in a while. I read the whole thing like I was dying of thirst and couldn't suck down fluids fast enough.

The story centers around Max, a realistic character caught in a futuristic scenario of what the internet might be like one day (virtual worlds where instead of checking your email, you step into a room, sit down and have your exquisitely-programmed virtual assistant recite email contents).

It unfolds into an enchantingly complex and imaginitive plot. Character development is fantastic and you can see the scenes in your head as they develop. Several times I found myself simultaneously breathing heavy with anxiety during the fast-paced adventure scenes and also laughing at character descriptions. For example:

"As Max watched with wide-eyed terror, the laundry pile began to seethe. The sound hadn't come from the bathroom after all. The pile rose up in a pillar of dirty socks, shirts, and towels, and took on a vaguely humanoid form."

This pile of dirty clothes abducts Max, along with some couch creature, and throws him into the dark recesses of the internet. The two monsters then pause for a hilarious and unlikely debate about Captain Kirk & Spock. It is impossible to tell what will happen next; this unpredictability makes for an incredibly engaging read.

The last time I liked a book this much, I went out and bought everything else the author wrote (Augusten Burroughs). I am only sorry that there are no other books to buy just yet and only hope the author is putting his brilliant mind hard to work on another novel for his insatiable fans.

The cover design is simplistic but don't judge the contents by that -- the story itself is rich and complex. Anyone who is into the internet (especially computer geeks) will especially find this a compelling read.

Though a book of the 90's I have just used this book as a text in my course on virtual architecture in our computer graphics program. It worked superbly. The text stimulated long fruitful discussions (some for three unbroken hours) and put students in the state of mind to produce 3D based sites of significant meaning. Students took to heart Anders cautionary assessments on designing cyberspace and produced work that leapt well ahead of the work they were producing prior to the discussions. Anders chooses all of the best sources for his analysis of the similarities and contrasts between actual space and cyberspace, especially his use of Jean Piaget's interactional psychology as a base.

This is an extremely thorough introduction to cyberspaces and has many beautiful illustrations. This is an intellectually sophisticated book for non-computer scientists. It begins with a rigorous intellectual picture and then continues to survey existing cyberspaces with many insights along the way, that will please even techno-nerds.

The book fills in many details in the history of building cyberspaces.

Next year in cyberspace!

The accelerating growth of personal computing over the past two decades and the unprecedented rise of the Internet in the 1990s has led to a countless number of books. Many deal with particular aspects of this revolution - linear historical accounts, analysis of emergent psycho-social phenomena, how-to manuals on the latest program or technology, etc.. Very few however, manage to capture a broad overview and comprehensive analysis of this explosion. Fewer still have documented the wide array of less common technologies and research efforts that have accompanied and in many cases, presaged, the more familiar aspects of today's cyberspace.

It's not surprising then, that a uniquely comprehensive view should come from a member of the original generalist profession - architecture. In "ENVISIONING CYBERSPACE: Designing 3D Electronic Spaces," architect and media theorist, Peter Anders has succeeded in delivering one of the best and rarest overviews of the beginnings of the Information Age.

Integrity demands that I disclose that some of my own work is featured in this book, but what I discovered to my great surprise and delight, is that it's also filled with many incredible technologies and ideas that I was unaware of. Such is the difficulty in being aware of everything that's going on in our rapidly evolving era.

Anyone interested or involved in the design and development of information technologies would do well to read this book. The future is not limited to just a simple extrapolation of what's most commonly known today. The real Information Age is a vast, barely explored region of possibility around us and ahead. We're lucky to have Peter Anders serving as both Lewis and Clark.

Something that makes Peter Anders' _Envisioning Cyberspace_ especially interesting is that it's the work of an architect and designer, for whom the issues of designing workable, user-centered cyberenvironments are comprehensible. He's gathered and comments upon a wide-ranging collection of work that he finds interesting, efforts that approach and address the big issues if not always fully realizing them. It often reminds me of the 1991 anthology _Cyberspace: First Steps_ edited by Michael Benedikt (another architect), or some of the hot early-'90s books on Virtual Reality, in that it's full of enthusiasm and enjoyment at the elegance of possible solutions. In this hard-nosed commercially-driven era that's a breath of fresh air; the real kind, not the virtual.

I had previously heard of Aaron A. when I read the online issue of Serenity Rose at his art website, so I recognized his art style as soon as I saw the girl on the cover.
Kimmie66 is a soft science-fiction story about a girl trying to solve a mystery concerning her best friend, Kimmie66, who has sent her a suicide note. Unfortunately, this is difficult since people now socialize through "lairs" or a hi-tech version of a MMORPG, complete with virtual reality goggles.
The characters are interesting, especially Kimmie66. The heroine may remind Aaron A. fans of Serenity Rose - almost similar dress style, mannerisms, etc. The topic of technology and virtual communities would also appeal to modern readers. The art mixes a crisp, cookie-cutter style similar to anime or Junko Mizuno, along with a sketchy, horror edge resembling the works of Jhonen Vasquez. My only complaint is that it is not very long. I would have liked to learn more of Kimmie66 and her life outside of the virutal one, and a few things as well.
For the price of 9.99, I would say its worth buying.

Art: A
Plot: A
Readability: A
Average score: A (worth buying)

The Minx line is supposed to be aimed at teen girls, but from what they tell me at Eide's Comics in Pittsburgh, a lot of books get picked up by regular comic book readers like myself -- older and male.

I picked up "kimmie66" by Aaron Alexovich a couple weeks back and only now got around to reading it. About halfway through, I caught on to what Aaron was up to and was astonished by where it was headed. The book is far more than one would expect for the Minx line or comic books in general. No, it's not as good as Straczynski's "Midnight Nation" or even "Spider-Man: Revelations" but I'd rank it as a "must read."

But Kimmie66 is not just another Minx comic. Sure, girls age 13 - 17 will like Kimmie66, but so will you! Sci-fi/fantasy/techno-goth/awesome! An intiguing story in a hugely new world, creative and brilliant art style with endearing character design.
Buy this comic.

This story will be enjoyed by anyone who has ever experienced a meaningful relationship online: friendship, romance, or even a deep 6 hour conversation with a complete stranger. If you are thirsting for a book that helps you understand the mindsets of the new world we live in, this is one of those books. It may be set in the future, but everything in this story directly applies to the present day.

It hits home with the world we now live in; where physical barriers are becoming less important; where corporations are organizing international employee training sessions in virtual worlds, and are recruiting in Second Life; a world where you have close friends internationally but have no clue who your next door neighbor is.

Information and technological advancement is happening so rapidly that what a person learns in their first year of college can become outdated by the time they graduate. This book captures the modern feeling of infinite access, infinite exploration, infinite creation. In a time when virtually anything is possible (pun intended), we need stories that target, capture, explore and encourage that feeling for all generations living here and now on our very, very small Earth.

The story itself is as old as time: it is the story of friendship, understanding, self-discovery and growing up. I would go so far as to say that I think parents might benefit from reading this book, to better understand the world their children are growing up in. And to simply enjoy the book itself; it is truly for all ages.

Gary Paulsen combines action, adventure, and humor into a wonderful book! Just because the book is small, it doesn't mean that the story is dumb. Give it a try!

i like this book alot becasue it was short but interesting. i liked the way that they described the throne room and the other missions they had to complete.this book was funny beacuse they told us how they got small and that they were afraid but they had to work together to beat the game .i was glad that they were able to work together beacuse if you have two people trying to do domething they aren't going to go anywhere if they dont work with each other, just like in real life.thats why i liked this book and i wouldn't mind reading it again.

"Rodomonte's Revenge is a cool and exciting book. It's about two boys that love video games. They played a virtual reality game, and everything that happens in the game starts happening in real life.

Have you ever heard that opposites attract? Well, in this book it's surely true! The two protagonists, or main characters, are Brett Wilder and Tom Houston. Brett is very paranoid, and thinks about everything before he does it. Tom, on the other hand, doesn't think anything bad will happen, and runs into everything without thinking. And, as you'd know it: they're best friends. Their friend Willie helps them the most, by sending messages across the sky of the game that they, later in the book, get stuck in. The story takes place in the mall, where they are the first in line to play the newest virtual reality game...as you guessed...it's called Rodomonte's Revenge. But the bad part is that while they're playing this awesome game, it is taking control of them as they think and act. The system has bugs in it, and fire rivers, and tunnel spiders, high winds and a big, bad giant named Rodomonte. If they die in the game, they die forever. So...read this good and short book to find out if Brett and Tom survive. This novel was and is a great story for short term readers. It's only about 100 pages long. The plot of the book was clear and in sequence, as some of Gary Paulsen's books aren't. So go read this great book, Nintendo fans!

I picked this text for my virtual reality course here at the Electronic Visualization Laboratory and found it to be an excellent, well written, comprehensive introduction to the field.

It is interesting this book, since gives a complete visualization of the current virtual reality. In form didactics it travels all the fields of the VR, not serving alone for a neophyte, also for somebody that the VR knows. Very good book
Hugo Neira S

I received this book shortly after it was published. Since then it has served well as a reference for my students working in my VR research group, as well as being very enlightening for me as well.
I will be teaching a course on VR the next two spring semesters at Valparaiso University, and will be using this text.
The book does a great job of spanning the current VR technology out there, as well as addressing issues for development. I'd recommend it for VR researchers, as well as those teaching VR at the undergrad or grad level.

Understanding Virtual Reality" is the definitive, authoritative, and exhausive exploration of the field by two insiders and practioners, Sherman and Craig. Virtual reality, a uniquely viewer-centric, large field-of-view, dynamic display technology has evolved over the past decade in many physical formats, driven by many software applications using a variety of operating systems, computers, and specialized libraries. Sherman and Craig capture them all in this substantial volume.

Most writing about virtual reality involves summarizing and interpreting interviews and demos, with massive doses of the speculative and the spectacular, and lots of historical fuzziness. Sherman and Craig, however, lived in the world of actual VR production at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where corporate researchers, educators, scientists, and artists make use of this technology in their daily work. They have personally suffered with VR tech and benefited greatly from access to it as well as to amazing amounts of computing, engineering, and scientific talent. They were held to real deadlines of corporate contracts, scientific conference demonstrations, and the design of IMAX productions. While they were doing all this, they were also writing this book. As a result, "Understanding Virtual Reality" has the integrity and feel of a long-term, eyewitness account and a personal journal, because these production-oriented researchers were documenting the times contemporaneously, rather than trying to reconstruct the details years later.

I know all this because I was their group leader for a couple of years in the mid-90's at NCSA, and their colleague in VR the years before and after. I co-invented the CAVE hardware, among other things, with Dan Sandin at the University of Illinois at Chicago, in 1991.