I am about half way through Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner. The book is hard to describe. It might be compared to something James Joyce would write while tripping on LSD. It’s a difficult book, and like Ulysses, requires quite a bit of background. Unlike Ulysses, this is background that I have.

Brunner’s definition of reality ties in with information theory and the whole idea that real ideas and real information have the quality of surprise.

Realty is what Surprises You

I think that this is even better than Philip K. Dick’s definition of reality:

Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.