Charlie J. Galicich Student of Digital and Computational Studies, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine USA, cgalicic@bowdoin.edu Lost Possible Worlds: Toward a Narrative Approach to Computing Ethics Rather than an “a posteriori'' approach to addressing the ethics of developing digital technologies, in which movement toward more ethical practice or deployment of technology occurs only after a certain technology negatively impacts certain populations, technological development must take an a priori approach in which multiple ethical ramifications of the technology are considered beforehand. This paper illuminates the power that narratives can provide to such an a priori approach, providing imaginative variations of potential technologies that those seated at the development table may consider. Using Paul Ricœur’s view of narratives as “ethical laboratories,” I argue that narratives, whether fictions or case studies, effectively provide good ethical deliberation at technology development tables through offering specific, contextual possibilities of how technology can affect or fail certain groups or populations. The narrative approach suggests a method of embedding ethical principles through viewing predictive narratives as imaginative variations of technologies that are distanced from such ethical principles. I dissect the short story “Burning Chrome” by William Gibson as a narrative that successfully predicted ethical and social discussions of digital networks and their impacts to prove the value of narratives in making a more informed developmental decision and serving as a crucial method for an a priori approach to technological development. I then discuss Gibson’s predictions in the context of the “Metaverse” to demonstrate how this narrative can serve as a crucial component of a priori deliberation in the development of this new networked environment. Find below the link to this paper. Keywords: Computing Ethics, Technological Design and Development, Narrative, A Priori, Representation and Equitability https://zenodo.org/record/6595433#.YpYUwpNBx_Q Storytelling in the Computing Ethics Narratives Project: Narrative Ethics Theory in Practice The Computing Ethics Narratives (CEN) project is a multidisciplinary collaboration between professors at Bowdoin and Colby colleges located in Maine, US. The purpose of this website is to provide undergraduate computer science professors with narratives related to ethical uses and ethical failures of a variety of technologies so that lessons on ethics may be embedded seamlessly into their curricula. Narratives featured vary in length, medium, and place and time of origin, and are both nonfictional (journalistic articles, podcasts) and fictional (film clips, prose reading). Each narrative features two types of taxonomy: technologies involved, and ethical themes implicated. Additionally, each narrative comes with a brief summary of its contents and their relation to the taxonomic terms as well as discussion questions for learners. The website contains a search term mechanism, as well as filtered searching by ethical theme, technology involved, media type, among others. Future additions to the website ideally involve more lesson modules, an increased presence of globally diverse narratives, and the ability to create an account to accumulate and bundle one’s own selection of narratives. Find below the link to this website. https://www.computingnarratives.com/