The “Snow Crash” Manuscript is to Be Auctioned at Sotheby’s

Neal Stephenson’s “Snow Crash,” published in 1992, is considered one of the most important science fiction novels of the past few decades. The book has been credited with coining the term “metaverse” and popularizing the concept, and now metaverses have become a component of many video games, virtual reality, and desktop experiences. The novel also popularized the term “avatar,” which inspired James Cameron for the eponymous movie.

On February 27, Sotheby’s will auction an open edition digital art collection dubbed “Infocalypse.” The curated set of items aims to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Snow Crash’s publication while telling the story of one of the most influential works of the modern era.

The manuscript of Snow Crash is the second lot of the collection. According to Sotheby’s website, it is “wrapped in original Xerox 4200 Paper” with masking tape. The manuscript contains hand-written corrections and notations made by Stephenson himself. So, for the first time, the public will discover all the changes and additions to the novel. The estimated price of the lot is between $40,000 and $60,000.