The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke:
Science Fiction Inventions, Technology and Ideas

The novel, published in 1956, takes place in the distant future on Earth; only the city of Diaspar is left, according to the lore of the city. Diaspar is an entirely enclosed city run by a central computer, which generates bodies for its inhabitants to live in, and stores the accomplishments in memory forever. Excellent story.

There is an earlier version of this story - Against the Fall of Night (1948); click the link to find quotes taken from that version of the story. Select an invention:

Central Computer
A computer capable of running an entire city.

Diaspar Memory - everyone gets a copy
The city's memory could store works of art, and reproduce them upon request.

Matter Organizer
A device that could cause a computer-generated image to be constructed as a real object.

Saga - very early virtual reality reference
You become a part of the great adventures of history.

Virtual Immortality
A method for storing the mind and memories of a person, and recalling and reconstituting them at will.

 

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