Where the Wizards Stay up Late
Year First Appeared
1996
Creator
Katie Hafner, Matthew Lyon
Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet is a narrative history by Katie Hafner and Matthew Lyon that chronicles how visionaries like J.C.R. Licklider, ARPA‑backed researchers, and BBN engineers built the ARPANET, laying the foundation for today’s Internet. It takes readers behind the scenes to capture the hard work, ingenuity, and serendipity that shaped this groundbreaking network.
Importance in Internet Culture
By consolidating first-hand accounts of ARPA, BBN, and early network pioneers into a clear narrative, the book helped shape public memory of how the Internet began and is often treated as a definitive early chronicle. Major reviews (NYT, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly) amplified its reach and corrected persistent myths about the network's origins.
Interesting Fact
The title comes from a James Merrill line, , Los Alamos' lights where wizards stay up late, , quoted as the book's epigraph. And although BBN is a central character, the authors note BBN opened its archives and helped fund the project while agreeing to no control over the book's content.