The Metaverse: A Critical Introduction provides a clear, concise and well-grounded introduction to the concept of the Metaverse, its history, the technology, the opportunities, the challenges and how it is having an impact almost every facet of society. The book serves as a standalone introduction to the Metaverse, and as an introduction to the range of topics that will be covered by the specialist volumes in The Metaverse Series. Key Features: • a concise history of the Metaverse idea and related implementations to date; • an examination of what the Metaverse actually is; • an introduction to the fundamental technologies used in the Metaverse; • an overview of how the different uses and aspects of the Metaverse are having an impact on our lives across multiple disciplines and social contexts; • a consideration of the opportunities and challenges the evolving Metaverse; and • a sense of how the Metaverse may mature over the coming decades. This book is a primer and Metaverse reader, drawing on academic research, practical and commercial experiences and taking inspiration from the science fiction origins and treatments of the Metaverse. The book explores the use of the increasing number of virtual worlds and proto-Metaverses which have existed since the late 1990s, and includes a critical consideration of recent developments in crypto-worlds and mixed reality. The aim is to provide professional and lay readers, researchers, academics and students with an indispensable guide to what counts as the Metaverse, opportunities and challenges, and how the future of the coming Metaverse can best be guided.