As If: Modern Enchantment and the Literary Prehistory of Virtual RealityMany people throughout the world inhabit imaginary worlds communally and persistently, parsing Harry Potter and exploring online universes. These activities might seem irresponsibly escapist, but history tells another story. Beginning in the late nineteenth century, when Sherlock Holmes became the world's first virtual reality character, readers began to colonize imaginary worlds, debating serious issues and viewing reality in provisional, as if terms