Taking the Red Pill: Science, Philosophy and Religion in The Matrix

Taking the Red Pill: Science, Philosophy and Religion in The Matrix. Glenn Yeffeth, ed. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Summersdale Publishers, 2003. Dallas: BenBella Books, 2003. David Gerrold, intro.[1]

Summarized on the Barnes & Noble site, "This thought-provoking examination of The Matrix explores the technological challenges, religious symbolism, and philosophical dilemmas the film presents. Essays by renowned scientists, technologists, philosophers, scholars, social commentators, and science fiction authors provide engaging and provocative perspectives. Explored in a highly accessible fashion are issues such as the future of artificial intelligence and virtual reality. The symbolism hidden throughout The Matrix and a few glitches in the film are revealed. Discussions include “Finding God in The Matrix,” “The Reality Paradox in The Matrix,” and “Was Cypher Right?: Why We Stay in Our Matrix.”[2] Advertised as written in an intelligent but nonacademic fashion," which is the recollection of one of the initial compilers of the Wiki.

As summarized by an early compiler: D. Gerrold gives a short introduction, followed by 14 essays, covering Cypher's Choice, AI, "The Reality Paradox," "The Matrix: Paradigm of Post-Modernism or Intellectual Poseur?" (in two parts, by different authors with different answers), Buddhism, mythology, "Human Freedom and the Red Pill," "Finding God in the Matrix," "The Human Machine Merger" (sic on punctuation), "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us," and "The Simulation Argument"—issues of post-humanity and the possibility (in Western philosophical terms) that we're living in illusion (what Lord Krishna called Maya). Backmatter includes a glossary and good index. Contents listed in entry on Internet Speculative Fiction Database, as of November 2023, available here.[3]

Reviewed by Richard McKinney, SFRA Review #263-64 (March-June 2003): 19-21.[4]

RDE et al., initial; RDE, finishing 28Nov23