For those interested in the nature of Reality and existence itself, and the possibility that our experience may in some way be illusory or "VR like," please allow me to suggest the Vedanta Treatise by A. Parthasarathy[0].
If you're going that route, read the last section of the book first and then come back to the first two sections (:
Edit: interestingly, it seems the Wachowski brothers (sisters?) were inspired by the Vedanta (Upanishads), mantras of which may be heard chanted during key scenes such as the fight between Neo and Smith. Of course the grandeur of the philosophy in the Upanishads does not need the validation of a pop culture movie, but it's an interesting reference.
If you're going that route, read the last section of the book first and then come back to the first two sections (:
Edit: interestingly, it seems the Wachowski brothers (sisters?) were inspired by the Vedanta (Upanishads), mantras of which may be heard chanted during key scenes such as the fight between Neo and Smith. Of course the grandeur of the philosophy in the Upanishads does not need the validation of a pop culture movie, but it's an interesting reference.
[0] https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/9381094160/ref=pd_aw_sim_sbs_...