Where Wizards Stay Up Late
Published in 1996, Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet tells the story of how ARPANET, the predecessor of the modern internet, was created. Katie Hafner and Matthew Lyon focus on the engineers, scientists, and government researchers who, beginning in the 1960s, designed a network that could connect distant computers and survive disruption. The book follows the small teams at firms like BBN and at universities who solved the technical problems of packet switching and the first interface message processors. It captures the culture of late-night problem solving, collaboration, and improvisation that produced foundational technology. Rather than treating the internet as inevitable, the authors show how specific people and choices shaped it. The result is a readable, character-driven account of one of the most consequential engineering projects of the twentieth century.
What you might want to know about Where Wizards Stay Up Late
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
The story of the engineers and researchers who built ARPANET, the forerunner of the internet.
It tells the story of ARPANET, the 1960s research network that became the foundation of the modern internet.
It explains key ideas like packet switching but focuses on the people and culture behind the technology.
Where Wizards Stay Up Late was written by Katie Hafner, published in 1996 by Pocket.
Where Wizards Stay Up Late is 307 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Where Wizards Stay Up Late takes most readers 5 to 7 hours to finish.
Where Wizards Stay Up Late is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.