The Diamond Age, Or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer is a novel by Neal Stephenson about a world where nanotechnology has become ubiquitous and society has fractured along subcultural lines. Wait, no: it's about the role of human interaction in childrearing, as seen through the lens of an advanced educational simulation -- something like an infinitely more sophisticated Oregon Trail game. No, that's not it either: it's about the influence of culture upon psychological development. Or is it about the breakdown of hierarchical social structures, or about the certain je ne sais quoi that separates souls from simulations?