Sotheby’s to auction Snow Crash manuscript that first mentioned metaverse
Sotheby’s has announced that it will be auctioning Neil Stephenson’s original Snow Crash novel manuscript where the metaverse term was first used. The auction is part of a series dubbed Infocalypse that features six physical and six digital items which will be auctioned as NFTs on Feb. 27.
Sotheby’s one of the world’s largest brokers of art, jewelry, and collectibles, will be auctioning the original version of Neil Stephenson’s Snow Crash novel manuscript where the metaverse term was first coined over 30 years ago.
Per a tweet by Sotheby’s, the auction is part of a series called “Infocalypse,” an open edition collection of digital art created in commemoration of Snow Crash’s 30th anniversary. The auction will go live on Feb. 27.
The auctioneers expect to attract between $100,00 to $200,000 for the manuscript.
Sotheby’s will also be auctioning NFT images of Dioxin Posse, a graphic novel that preceded Snow Crash. Other items to be auctioned include the original cover art for the 1993 mass-market paperback edition of Snow Crash, a sword modeled after that used by the protagonist in the story, and more.
Neil Stephenson’s Snow Crash novel has sold more than one million copies across North America so far.
Blockchain-based metaverses have continued to attract innovators from all sectors of the global economy, with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) playing a vital role in them. Researchers expect the digital collectibles market to hit the $1 trillion mark by 2032, fueled by NFTs.