Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Snow Crash

This is topic Snow Crash in forum Discussing Published Hooks & Books at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by Doc Brown (Member # 1118) on :

The best hook I've ever seen is Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash.

Amazon gives away about 10 pages for free. You can see it here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0553380958/ref=sib_dp_pt/002-6789465-6954445#reader-page

I encourage all aspiring writers to read those first few pages. Every word is brilliant. What hooked me in particular was the description of the car from page two:

quote:
The Deliverator's car has enough potential energy in its batteries to fire a pound of bacon into the asteroid belt. Unlike a bimbo box or a Burb beater, the Deliverator's car unloads that power through gaping, gleaming, polished sphincters. When the Deliverator puts the hammer down, shit happens. You want to talk contact patches? Your car's tires have tiny contact patches, talk to the asphalt in four places the size of your tongue. The Deliverator's car has big sticky tires with contact patches the size of a fat lady's thighs. The Deliverator is in touch with the road, starts like a bad day, stops on a peseta.

How I would love to write like that!

Posted by Doc Brown (Member # 1118) on :

If you happen to read the Amazon sample, I'd like your opinions of the meaning of the third sentence of the sixth paragraph. It says:

quote:
He is a roll model.

Note that the word is not role model, but roll model. Do you believe this is a typo that has survived 4 printings? If not, what meaning of the word roll do you think Stephenson meant.

I have a theory, but I'd like to hear yours.

[This message has been edited by Doc Brown (edited February 23, 2004).]

Posted by Kolona (Member # 1438) on :

I had trouble getting through the one paragraph. Definitely a Stinker for me on subject matter alone. I don't relate. (Like I've said before, writing has such a subjective aspect it's a real crapshoot.

)

[This message has been edited by Kolona (edited February 23, 2004).]

Posted by Fire-Bringer (Member # 1856) on :

Doc,

I beleive that the author is prematurely referring to the Deliverator (the reader does not really know who or what a Deliverator is, specifically)in such a way as to give the reader the idea that he is the best of the best and is punning roll/role in that vein.

-F

Posted by Doc Brown (Member # 1118) on :

That's a pretty cool way to look at it, Fire-Bringer. What definition of roll do you think the author intends?

My take: I think he's comparing the Deliverator to thunder. Thunder rolls, the Deliverator rolls. That's the image that this bit of writing brought to my mind.

Posted by Fire-Bringer (Member # 1856) on :

Based on the level of wit with which the author writes, I am fairly certain he means both definitions. Roll applies to being a driver, role in that he is what other drivers aspire to be. Both cases apply to the driver.

As a side note, I like the way his prose is loose and off-the-cuff, yet still cohesive. The intensity of the language is not common in most writing - The only two authors who come to mind when I think of this peice, stylistically speaking, are Palahniuk (sp?) (the guy who wrote Fight Club) and Hunter S.Thompson (Hell's Angels, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas). Have you read either of them?

-F

[This message has been edited by Fire-Bringer (edited February 26, 2004).]

Posted by Nick Vend (Member # 1816) on :

In this openning section, his car is so important the roll reference made me think back to his tires. The whole section is about movement - high speed pizza delivery and moving North Dakota to New Zealand. The feeling is keep driving, keep moving, take it as it comes, roll with the punches, roll of the dice, etc etc. He keeps moving while the rest of the people mentioned in the section just sit there and wait for their deliveries.

I liked the style. I don't know if I'd like it for a whole novel, but I'd give it a shot anyway.