For thousands of years, humanity has dreamed of escaping somewhere better. It is part of what being human is.
A better city.
A better country.
A better life.
Virtual reality may someday remove the need to go anywhere at all.
Imagine stepping onto a commuter train surrounded by people physically sitting beside you while mentally exploring distant planets, climbing impossible mountains, spending time with loved ones, or living lives they designed for themselves. The train still arrives on schedule. The city still moves outside the windows. Reality continues exactly as it always has.
Only, no one is paying attention anymore.
Perhaps the greatest change virtual reality could bring isn’t replacing the world around us.
Perhaps it’s replacing our desire to experience it.
Scott’s Fifth Year explores that possibility through one man’s struggle to rediscover whether an imperfect life is still worth choosing after experiencing a perfect one.
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