The End of Life As We Know It

[oselle]

I don't know if you're watching Caprica, but one thing I love about it is the "holoband" technology (no real spoilers here, for your spoilerphobes).

The holoband is a pair of lightweight spectacles that allow the wearer to enter a fully-realized virtual world. The things you experience while wearing the holoband are as real to you as anything you'd experience in real life -- but your body stays exactly where you left it, sitting there in the real world in your spectacles.

I tell you: this technology would destroy humanity, or at least, that portion of humanity that could afford holobands. Because seriously...why would you ever take them off?

There are existing virtual realities in holoband world -- the heroines of the show congregate at a no-holds-barred den of hedonism called V-Club, where literally, any sort of pleasure or vice can be indulged in with no consequences to your physical self. But you can also create your own customized virtual reality. So again...why would you ever want to come back here?

In my holoband world, J.K. Rowling never existed and I wrote the Harry Potter novels. Publicly stating that I'm a huge fan of Supernatural, Eric Kripke & Co. trip over themselves to beg such a renowned artist to pen a few episodes for them. I do this pro bono because I'm such a fan. Of course, I'm brought on as executive producer because my creative vision and ideas for the show are so exceptional. I elevate the show to one of the most acclaimed series on television, thereby helping Jensen Ackles win his first Emmy. My exquisite intelligence, creative genius, radiant-yet-pensive beauty (I'm much better looking in holoband world, natch) and Emmy-winning scripts make Jensen dump that faux redhead and fall madly in love with me. At this moment, we'd be enjoying a luxurious, clothing-optional honeymoon on a private island in the Bahamas after a wedding that was so stunningly beautiful and romantic, the angels themselves came down from heaven to attend.

Now tell me...why would I ever take off the holoband?

Comments

Re: so where can you get these spectacles?

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I'd sell a kidney for a pair.

[janissa11.livejournal.com]

*laughing* OH MAN. I've only seen one ep of Caprica, but I used to think VERY much this way about the holodeck on STNG. My theory was that there would be huge societal ramifications from it -- that there would be millions (billions, probably, we're talking the Federation here, not just our piddly planet) of addicts, like the Japanese guys who never leave the house, holodeck shut-ins (hol-ins?).

All you need for the holoband is a few IVs and a catheter, and you'd be all set. BON VOYAGE!! \o/

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Ah, but the holoband is even BETTER than the holodeck because you can use it ANYWHERE. The series opens with Zoe, the main character, holobanding in her school bathroom.

Seriously, stick an IV in me, have someone come over a few times a day to turn me for bedsores, and then just leave me and Jensen the eff alone.

Funny you should mention the Japanese -- I was talking about this whole holoband thing with a friend at work and she mentioned that some Japanese guy just "married" his girlfriend...who's a virtual avatar. If holobands or holodecks ever existed, forget about it. There is nothing about real life that could possibly compete.

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

I gotta agree with you. Who'd settle for boring old RL when the holoband was available? We'd be the plugged in generation.

[corbyinoz.livejournal.com]

Perfect. Only I wouldn't want to write Harry Potter. I'd want to be the author of books like Cold mountain, or The Lovely Bones, or The Blind Assassin. I could be Margaret Attwood! Only better looking. Because I'm not shallow

at all

.

Sounds like Aldous Huxley's idea of soma. And yeah, even as a kid when I read that I thought, you know, I wouldn't mind a soma party or two...

[oxer12.livejournal.com]

First of all, I am totally loving Caprica. I never watched a single episode of BSG, but it's not affecting my enjoyment of Caprica one whit.

Second, the holoband would absolutely end up ruining civilization. It would be like that movie that I wasted 2 hours on, "Surrogates," where everybody had an avatar and lived a perfect life.

I've got my holoband on right now, and I'm doing double Axels down the ice while Michelle Kwan looks on with envy.