Editing Neal Stephenson (section)

==Outside of writing==
[[Image:NealStephensonByPhilKonstantin.jpg|thumb|Stephenson at the Starship Century Symposium at UCSD in 2013]]

Stephenson worked at [[Blue Origin]], [[Jeff Bezos]]'s spaceflight company, for seven years in the early 2000s while its focus was on "novel alternate approaches to [[outer space|space]], [[Spacecraft propulsion#Speculative methods|alternate propulsion systems]], and business models." He left after Blue became a more standard aerospace company.<ref name=tsr20180319>{{cite news |last=Foust|first=Jeff |url=http://www.thespacereview.com/article/3455/1 |title=A changing shade of Blue |work=The Space Review |date=2018-03-19 |access-date=2018-05-31 |quote='For the first seven years or so, I worked there when it was in more of an exploratory stage of trying to figure out what the landscape looked like and what are some possibly novel alternate approaches to space, alternate propulsion systems and business models and so on,' [Stephenson] recalled. That lasted, he said, until the company became more focused on specific technologies (which feature propulsion systems not very alternate from what’s been, and is being, done elsewhere.) 'Once it became a more kind of directed aerospace engineering entity, that's when I amicably peeled off,' he said. }}</ref>

{{Anchor|Clang}}In 2012, Stephenson launched a [[Kickstarter]] campaign for ''Clang'', a realistic sword-fighting fantasy game. The concept was to use motion control to provide an immersive experience. The campaign's funding goal of $500,000 was reached by the target date of July 9, 2012, but funding options remained open and the project continued to accept contributions on its official site.<ref>[https://twitter.com/subutaicorp/status/222900255828611072 Twitter / subutaicorp: @LordBronco We're still taking] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921061239/https://twitter.com/subutaicorp/status/222900255828611072 |date=September 21, 2013 }}. Twitter.com. Retrieved on 2014-01-14.</ref> The project ran out of money in September 2013.<ref>[http://kotaku.com/famous-kickstarter-campaign-turns-into-complete-disaste-1352054852@stephentotilo Famous Kickstarter Turns Into Complete Disaster] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921102017/http://kotaku.com/famous-kickstarter-campaign-turns-into-complete-disaste-1352054852@stephentotilo |date=September 21, 2013 }}. Kotaku.com. Retrieved on 2014-01-14.</ref> This, and the circumstances around it, angered some backers,<ref>[http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/09/20/thud-development-of-neal-stephensons-clang-halted/ THUD: Development Of Neal Stephenson’s CLANG Halted] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925191633/http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/09/20/thud-development-of-neal-stephensons-clang-halted/ |date=September 25, 2013 }}. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved on 2014-01-14.</ref> and some threatened a [[class action]] lawsuit.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/09/neal-stephenson-says-his-dream-of-making-a-video-game-isnt-dead/ |title=Neal Stephenson Says His Dream Of Making A Video Game Isn't Dead |website=Kotaku |first=Evan |last=Narcisse |date=September 28, 2013 |quote=A vocal contingent of Clang backers have seethed with anger after the Pause Button update, with some demanding their money back and others making threats of legal action. When I spoke with him earlier this week, he told me he understands where they're coming from, but wants everyone to know that the journey to making Clang a reality isn't over. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929211712/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/09/neal-stephenson-says-his-dream-of-making-a-video-game-isnt-dead/ |archive-date=September 29, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The ''Clang'' project ended in September 2014 without being completed. Stephenson took some responsibility for the project's failure, saying, "I probably focused too much on historical accuracy and not enough on making it sufficiently fun to attract additional investment".<ref name="CLANG Final Update">{{cite web|last1=Stephenson|first1=Neal|title=Final Update|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/260688528/clang/posts/989911|website=CLANG by Subutai Corporation|publisher=Kickstarter|access-date=18 October 2014|date=19 September 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018002443/https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/260688528/clang/posts/989911|archive-date=October 18, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In 2014, the Florida-based [[augmented reality]] company [[Magic Leap]] hired Stephenson as Chief Futurist.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2014/12/neal-stephenson-magic-leap/ |title=Sci-Fi Author Neal Stephenson Joins Mystery Startup Magic Leap as 'Chief Futurist' |magazine=Wired |date=December 16, 2014 |author=Davey Alba |author-link=Davey Alba|access-date=May 20, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518083936/http://www.wired.com/2014/12/neal-stephenson-magic-leap |archive-date=May 18, 2015 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> He left the company in 2020 as part of a layoff.<ref name="WSJ2020" /> In 2021, Stephenson and colleagues [[Sean Stewart]] and [[Austin Grossman]] released ''New Found Land: The Long Haul'', an [[Audible (service)|Audible]] audio drama based on the intellectual property they developed at Magic Leap.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-06-10|title=Neal Stephenson & Co. turn failed Magic Leap AR project into an Audible drama|url=https://venturebeat.com/2021/06/10/neal-stephenson-co-turn-failed-magic-leap-ar-project-into-an-audible-drama/|access-date=2021-11-23|website=VentureBeat|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2022, Stephenson launched [[Lamina1]] to build an [[open source]] [[metaverse]] that will use [[smart contract]]s<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/06/30/snow-crash-neal-stephenson-metaverse/|title=A novel predicted the metaverse (and hyperinflation) 30 years ago|author=Zenou, Theo|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=2022-06-30|accessdate=2022-12-02}}</ref> on a [[blockchain]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wired.com/story/plaintext-neal-stephenson-named-the-metaverse-now-hes-building-it/|title=Neal Stephenson Named the Metaverse. Now, He's Building It|date=2022-09-16|accessdate=2022-12-02|author=Levy, Stephen|publisher=Wired}}</ref>