After the change from "Facebook" to "Meta" everyone talked about the Metaverse, only to dismiss it shortly after as new advances in AI emerged. Regardless of whether or not it is the focus of media attention, the development of the Metaverse has never stopped. The contributors to this volume outline past "imaginations" and recent "achievements." As academic and industry experts, they trace the term Metaverse through literary, media, and cultural history and provide insights into recent applications and their technical, social, cultural, and economic implications.