1990s absurdism absurdity action action-packed adventure ai alternate-history alternate-reality ambition ancient-sumerian argumentation artificial-intelligence bias bullshit bullshit-detection calling-bullshit canada canadian-literature career coding cognitive-bias cognitive-biases comedy coming-of-age computer computer-hacking computer-industry computer-programming computer-science computer-virus computer-viruses computers conspiracy conspiracy-theories conspiracy-theory contemporary contemporary-fiction corporate-control corporate-culture corporate-life corporate-power corporate-world counterculture coupland critical-analysis critical-reasoning critical-thinking cult cult-classic cults cyberpunk dark-comedy dark-humor data-analysis data-manipulation data-visualization debunking deception digital-age digital-revolution disinformation douglas douglas-coupland drugs dysfunctional-families dysfunctional-family dystopia dystopian dystopian-future dystopian-society entrepreneurship evidence evidence-based existentialism fact-checking fake-news fallacies fiction friendship friendships future future-society future-technology futuristic gaming geek geek-culture geeks generation-x hacker hacker-culture hackers hacking heros-journey hoaxes humor identity identity-crisis information-literacy information-overload information-warfare innovation internet internet-boom jpod language lies linguistic linguistic-virus linguistics logic logical-fallacies love manipulation media-literacy memetics metafiction metaverse microserfs microsoft millennial-generation mind-altering-drugs mind-bending mind-control misinformation mystery mythology nanotechnology nerd-culture nerds neurolinguistics office-culture office-life office-politics personal-growth philosophical philosophy pop-culture pop-culture-references post-apocalyptic postmodern postmodernism programming propaganda pseudoscience quirky-characters rationality reasoning relationships religion rhetoric samurai satire satirical science science-communication science-fiction scientific-method scientific-reasoning scientific-skepticism seattle self-discovery silicon-valley skepticism snow-crash social-commentary social-media software software-development start-up start-up-culture start-ups startup-culture startups statistical-analysis statistical-fallacies statistical-literacy statistical-reasoning statistics subversion surreal surrealism sword-fighting swordfighting tech-industry technology thriller truth truth-seeking underground-society vancouver video-games virtual-reality virtual-world work-life-balance workplace workplace-culture workplace-dynamics world-building