After Hype

Neil Pollock, Robin Williams

ISBN 10: 1009644041 / ISBN 13: 9781009644044

Published by Cambridge University Press, GB, 2026

About this Item

From artificial intelligence (AI) to quantum computing, every new technology is surrounded by 'hype' - but what exactly is hype, and how does it work? This is the first book to take hype seriously, showing how it is made, managed, and mobilised across today's innovation landscapes. Far from being just empty talk, hype has become a structured practice and even a business in its own right. The authors uncover the machinery that drives markets, guides innovation, and shapes whole promissory economies. They also initiate 'Hype Studies' - a new way of understanding how innovation unfolds in the digital age and beyond. After Hype not only establishes hype as a serious object of study but also reveals it to be one of the most powerful yet overlooked forces shaping and influencing our technological future. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Seller Inventory # LU-9781009644044

Bibliographic Details

• Title: After Hype
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press, GB
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1009644041
• ISBN 13: 9781009644044
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 507 grams

About this title

Synopsis

From artificial intelligence (AI) to quantum computing, every new technology is surrounded by 'hype' – but what exactly is hype, and how does it work? This is the first book to take hype seriously, showing how it is made, managed, and mobilised across today's innovation landscapes. Far from being just empty talk, hype has become a structured practice and even a business in its own right. The authors uncover the machinery that drives markets, guides innovation, and shapes whole promissory economies. They also initiate 'Hype Studies' – a new way of understanding how innovation unfolds in the digital age and beyond. After Hype not only establishes hype as a serious object of study but also reveals it to be one of the most powerful yet overlooked forces shaping and influencing our technological future. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

About the Authors

Neil Pollock is Professor of Innovation and Social Informatics at the University of Edinburgh and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. He is an award-winning researcher of digital innovation and has authored several influential books on technology and markets, including How Industry Analysts Shape the Digital Future (Oxford University Press, 2016).

Robin Williams is Professor of Social Research on Technology at the University of Edinburgh. A pioneer in the social shaping of technology, he has led interdisciplinary research in Science and Technology Studies for over forty years; founded the Institute for the Study of Science, Technology and Innovation; and chairs the UK Association for Science, Technology and Innovation Studies.