OT - Neal Stephenson

QuikSand · 09-09-2003, 03:02 PM

I just read a blurb in Time about the forthcoming series of books from Neal Stephenson, the author of Cryptonomicon and Snow Crash, among others.

I have heard praise for him before, and the new series has my interest piqued. Anyone here a reader, or a fan, of his work?

I think I'm heading tot he library to grab the two titles I've listed above. Can anyone either wave me off, or give me a decent sense of what to expect? (I'm itching for a good read, after drowning in poker books for a nonth and a half)

QuikSand · 09-09-2003, 03:03 PM

By the way, this is the piece from Time that caught my eye:

Time Article

3ric · 09-09-2003, 03:33 PM

I'm indeed a fan of Mr. Stephenson, "Cryptonomicon" is a terrific piece of literature. The story moves in two different eras, one in the present with a computer entrepreneur looking for investers for a venture in Manila, Phillipines, and the other with an unlikely pairing of a cryptologist and a Marine during WW2. Very much recommended.

"Snow Crash" is more of a sci-fi swashbuckling adventure, starring a pizza boy who's also a cyberspace hacker, think "Matrix" combined with "Bill and Ted's excellent adventure" if that's makes any sense - it was a while since I read it though. Highly entertaining and original, but not as thought-provoking as the above book.

I also have to mention another Stephenson book, which also is a fascinating read. "The Diamond Age" is set in the future in a world where the Victorian ideals and way of living is a culture in which an inventor makes an "Illustrated Primer" of sorts for his daughter. The primer is highly interactive and becomes a companion during her entire childhood, shaping her personality, but also shaping another girl who has found a misplaced copy of the primer. A wonderful, complex story.

Bad-example · 09-09-2003, 03:44 PM

I can second the positive reviews of both Diamond Age and Snow Crash. I have read a lot of sci fi over the years and these two books are pretty high on my all time list. Very entertaining reads.

Chief Rum · 09-09-2003, 03:45 PM

"Cryptonomicon" is an intricately-woven and plotted work, and Stephenson does well with the different plot lines and making things come together. And his quirky style at times is refreshing and fun to work through (unlike many other writers' "diversionary writing"), and he has a lot of stuff on there about cryptography and computers, among other subjects, and I figure that will interest you a lot, being a super-posting computer and all.

My only gripe with it came at the back end of the book. I won't go into any details, because it involves the end, and I wouldn't want to spoil it for anyone. And I also think it's quite likely my gripe alone--I don't know if anyone holds this particular opinion. And even with that, the rest of the book more than makes up for it. I highly recommend you don't miss it.

I haven't read anything else of his yet, including "Snow Crash".

CR

Drake · 09-09-2003, 05:01 PM

Miss Stephenson at your peril, QS.

But my understanding is that the book about to be released is the prequel to Cryptonomicon (i.e. same family, still about cryptography), and the next book in the series will be the sequel (i.e. same family again, still about cryptography again).

I also strongly recommend The Diamond Age and, to a lesser extent, Snow Crash, but Cryptonomicon will change your life -- guaranteed. You will never read fiction the same way again.

Chief Rum · 09-09-2003, 05:28 PM

A sequel to Cryptonomicon, eh?

Well, that might actually settle my disstatiosfaction with the end, especially if Stephenson was planning something like this all along.

'Course, it will be years before I read it (since he has to write it).

CR

JonInMiddleGA · 09-09-2003, 09:16 PM

I believe Cryptnomicon is the only Stephenson work I've read and it's ... interesting.

That probably sounds harsher than I mean it to, it's just that the book was incredibly long (and I don't normally flinch at length) but could have used, IMO, a little sharper editing. The storyline(s) were quite interesting but there was just a little more "stream of consciousness" quirkiness scattered around than I would have liked.

daedalus · 09-09-2003, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 3ric
think "Matrix" combined with "Bill and Ted's excellent adventure" if that's makes any sense

As in, "whoa"?

QuikSand · 09-10-2003, 09:15 AM

I picked up two copes of Cryptonomicon at the public library yesterday - one for me, and one for Mrs. Q if my initial foray determines this might be a good candidate for us to read together.

We'll see. I'm not much of a fan of wartime settings... but the content sounds fairly close to my interests.

albionmoonlight · 09-10-2003, 10:14 AM

I've only read _Snow Crash_ by him, but I really liked it. It was a fun page turner that had pretty interesting characters. I think the Matrix/Bill & Ted coment is pretty right on

Bee · 09-10-2003, 10:18 AM

Snow Crash sounds like something I might like, I'll have to find a copy and give it a go.

Toddzilla · 09-10-2003, 02:54 PM

Cryptonomicon was a fantastic book, IMO. You gotta love any fiction that includes a nice chunk of Perl code in it

It also appealed to the Math Major in me.

I've also read "In The Beginning (there was the command line)" which is more of a brief exposition than a story - it was enjoyable in a very geeky technical sort of way - and "U" - which I found uninteresting and at times unreadable.

Cryptonimicon, however, sits in my list of top 5 favorite books.

QuikSand · 09-10-2003, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Toddzilla
Cryptonomicon was a fantastic book, IMO. You gotta love any fiction that includes a nice chunk of Perl code in it.

See, now, that's where you're losing me.

cuervo72 · 09-10-2003, 03:16 PM

I hear"Perl code" and my ears perk up.

QuikSand · 11-23-2003, 06:00 PM

After putting it down a couple of times, I am now finally pretty close to finishing Cryptonomicon. I'm a touch unsettled by the various reports here about an unsatisfying ending, but plan to continue trudging along. I don't think this book has changed my life, nor change the way I approach fiction... but it's bee fairly interesting.

Drake · 11-23-2003, 06:18 PM

Maybe I went a bit overboard, Quik. It changed the way I write fiction, how's that?

QuikSand · 11-23-2003, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Drake
Maybe I went a bit overboard, Quik. It changed the way I write fiction, how's that?

Have you added a lot more perl script?

Malificent · 11-23-2003, 07:22 PM

I've tried to get through Cryptonomicon about 3 times now, and for whatever reason, I almost always stop somewhere in the middle.

That said, I adore Snow Crash. Great great read.

Drake · 11-24-2003, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by QuikSand
Have you added a lot more perl script?

I don't add perl. I am currently working on a novel in which I had to create a future version of perl based on a new "object phenomenalism" coding convention, though. That was a bit of a challenge.

Though God only knows if the scripts I designed will make it into the final draft.

OldGiants · 11-25-2003, 12:13 PM

I enjoyed Cryptonomicom and Snowcrash, but the Diamond Age left me bored. Not much of an ending.

Before you get excited about Quicksilver, here's a review from John Clute, a critic who gets it 'right' more often than not in my opinion.

http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue337/excess.html

09-09-2003, 03:33 PM	#3
3ric College Starter Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Sweden	I'm indeed a fan of Mr. Stephenson, "Cryptonomicon" is a terrific piece of literature. The story moves in two different eras, one in the present with a computer entrepreneur looking for investers for a venture in Manila, Phillipines, and the other with an unlikely pairing of a cryptologist and a Marine during WW2. Very much recommended. "Snow Crash" is more of a sci-fi swashbuckling adventure, starring a pizza boy who's also a cyberspace hacker, think "Matrix" combined with "Bill and Ted's excellent adventure" if that's makes any sense - it was a while since I read it though. Highly entertaining and original, but not as thought-provoking as the above book. I also have to mention another Stephenson book, which also is a fascinating read. "The Diamond Age" is set in the future in a world where the Victorian ideals and way of living is a culture in which an inventor makes an "Illustrated Primer" of sorts for his daughter. The primer is highly interactive and becomes a companion during her entire childhood, shaping her personality, but also shaping another girl who has found a misplaced copy of the primer. A wonderful, complex story. __________________ San Diego Chargers (HFL) - Lappland Reindeers (WOOF) - Gothenburg Giants (IHOF) Indiana: A TCY VC - year 2044 - the longest running dynasty ever on FOFC!

09-09-2003, 03:44 PM	#4
Bad-example College Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: san jose CA	I can second the positive reviews of both Diamond Age and Snow Crash. I have read a lot of sci fi over the years and these two books are pretty high on my all time list. Very entertaining reads. __________________ Karaoke Katie drove the crowd wild Every time she'd sing they'd come in for miles Curtain came up, Katie came on Drinking like a lumberjack and singing Delta Dawn

09-09-2003, 03:45 PM	#5
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	"Cryptonomicon" is an intricately-woven and plotted work, and Stephenson does well with the different plot lines and making things come together. And his quirky style at times is refreshing and fun to work through (unlike many other writers' "diversionary writing"), and he has a lot of stuff on there about cryptography and computers, among other subjects, and I figure that will interest you a lot, being a super-posting computer and all. My only gripe with it came at the back end of the book. I won't go into any details, because it involves the end, and I wouldn't want to spoil it for anyone. And I also think it's quite likely my gripe alone--I don't know if anyone holds this particular opinion. And even with that, the rest of the book more than makes up for it. I highly recommend you don't miss it. I haven't read anything else of his yet, including "Snow Crash". CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

09-09-2003, 05:01 PM	#6
Drake assmaster Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Bloomington, IN	Miss Stephenson at your peril, QS. But my understanding is that the book about to be released is the prequel to Cryptonomicon (i.e. same family, still about cryptography), and the next book in the series will be the sequel (i.e. same family again, still about cryptography again). I also strongly recommend The Diamond Age and, to a lesser extent, Snow Crash, but Cryptonomicon will change your life -- guaranteed. You will never read fiction the same way again. Last edited by Drake : 09-09-2003 at 05:02 PM.

09-09-2003, 05:28 PM	#7
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	A sequel to Cryptonomicon, eh? Well, that might actually settle my disstatiosfaction with the end, especially if Stephenson was planning something like this all along. 'Course, it will be years before I read it (since he has to write it). CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

09-09-2003, 03:03 PM	#2
QuikSand lolzcat Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Annapolis, Md	By the way, this is the piece from Time that caught my eye: Time Article

09-09-2003, 09:16 PM	#8
JonInMiddleGA Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Behind Enemy Lines in Athens, GA	I believe Cryptnomicon is the only Stephenson work I've read and it's ... interesting. That probably sounds harsher than I mean it to, it's just that the book was incredibly long (and I don't normally flinch at length) but could have used, IMO, a little sharper editing. The storyline(s) were quite interesting but there was just a little more "stream of consciousness" quirkiness scattered around than I would have liked. __________________ "I lit another cigarette. Unless I specifically inform you to the contrary, I am always lighting another cigarette." - from a novel by Martin Amis

09-10-2003, 09:15 AM	#10
QuikSand lolzcat Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Annapolis, Md	I picked up two copes of Cryptonomicon at the public library yesterday - one for me, and one for Mrs. Q if my initial foray determines this might be a good candidate for us to read together. We'll see. I'm not much of a fan of wartime settings... but the content sounds fairly close to my interests.

09-10-2003, 10:14 AM	#11
albionmoonlight Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: North Carolina	I've only read _Snow Crash_ by him, but I really liked it. It was a fun page turner that had pretty interesting characters. I think the Matrix/Bill & Ted coment is pretty right on

09-10-2003, 10:18 AM	#12
Bee Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Fairfax, VA	Snow Crash sounds like something I might like, I'll have to find a copy and give it a go.

09-10-2003, 02:54 PM	#13
Toddzilla Pro Starter Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Burke, VA	Cryptonomicon was a fantastic book, IMO. You gotta love any fiction that includes a nice chunk of Perl code in it It also appealed to the Math Major in me. I've also read "In The Beginning (there was the command line)" which is more of a brief exposition than a story - it was enjoyable in a very geeky technical sort of way - and "U" - which I found uninteresting and at times unreadable. Cryptonimicon, however, sits in my list of top 5 favorite books.

09-10-2003, 03:16 PM	#15
cuervo72 Head Coach Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Maryland	I hear"Perl code" and my ears perk up. __________________ null

11-23-2003, 06:00 PM	#16
QuikSand lolzcat Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Annapolis, Md	After putting it down a couple of times, I am now finally pretty close to finishing Cryptonomicon. I'm a touch unsettled by the various reports here about an unsatisfying ending, but plan to continue trudging along. I don't think this book has changed my life, nor change the way I approach fiction... but it's bee fairly interesting.

11-23-2003, 06:18 PM	#17
Drake assmaster Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Bloomington, IN	Maybe I went a bit overboard, Quik. It changed the way I write fiction, how's that?

11-23-2003, 07:22 PM	#19
Malificent High School JV Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Durham, NC, USA	I've tried to get through Cryptonomicon about 3 times now, and for whatever reason, I almost always stop somewhere in the middle. That said, I adore Snow Crash. Great great read. __________________ Check out my Flickr photos.

11-25-2003, 12:13 PM	#21
OldGiants College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Location, Location, Location	I enjoyed Cryptonomicom and Snowcrash, but the Diamond Age left me bored. Not much of an ending. Before you get excited about Quicksilver, here's a review from John Clute, a critic who gets it 'right' more often than not in my opinion. http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue337/excess.html __________________ "The case of Great Britain is the most astonishing in this matter of inequality of rights in world soccer championships. The way they explained it to me as a child, God is one but He's three: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I could never understand it. And I still don't understand why Great Britain is one but she's four....while [others] continue to be no more than one despite the diverse nationalities that make them up." Eduardo Galeano, SOCCER IN SUN AND SHADOW

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