Virtual Reality, 1979

Back in 1979 there was no such thing as “virtual reality.” Heck, there was no such thing as a personal computer, either. Or computer animation, unless you count Pong, Atari’s hot new game.

But that didn’t stop my inner Leonardo from daydreaming about how we might interact with CG alternate universes.


At the time I was an anthro major at UC Berkeley. According to my sophomoric prognostication, we would someday be able to enter “a world of pure illusion, utterly free from danger, into which one can actually walk and explore!”

Here, for your amusement, is “Vision Quest,” my 1979 prediction of what was supposed to come. Wasn’t the future fun back then? So why hasn’t it gotten here yet? Click to enlarge any page.

The headpiece unit:
Field size and sound:
Alternate reality:
Off a cliff:
Your friend the 8-ball:

Tomorrow: Mystery Artist