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I was introduced to Cryptonomicon a few years ago by a friend and it instantly became one of my favorite books of all time. Since then I've read Quicksilver, Snow Crash, and just recently finished The Diamond Age.
I love how this man writes. Mixing technology(especially computers and systems), history, mythology, and science he seems to hit on most of my interests in one story. Add to that a few geeky characters, some action oriented characters, and a really brilliant sense of humor and I'm usually completely enthralled while reading his novels. His world building is just fantastic. In both Snow Crash and The Diamond Age, though the worlds are completley different, they both ring completely true.
Cryptonomicon is still my favorite of the books I've read so far. Followed by I'd say Snow Crash. I love that that book is somehow serious yet really fun at the same time.
Any suggestions as to what I should read next? I still need to finish the Baroque Cycle. Even with as tedious as it is, I still enjoyed it. And i've got Zodiak and The Big U on my Amazon wish lists.
Here's some fun Stephenson links if anyone is interested:
What's up with Enoch root? A discussion of the character of Enoch Root in Cryptonomicon, and who or what he is. Like I said, i haven't finished the Baroque Cycle so I'm sure there's some more info in those books, so this question may or may not be answered already.
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My favorite of his is Snow Crash. Far and away. My heart was actually racing during the first scene. Just an amazing book.
Of course, the fact that I spent a year learning Assyriology in grad school probably enhanced the experience for me, but my partner didn't, and she had the same reaction.
After that, I'd say In the Beginning, There Was the Command Line.... It's a very long essay that was originally posted on the web many years ago (I read it then), and has since been published as a short book. It's a phenomenal analysis of a lot of things in our culture. And came within a tick of getting me to try Linux.
I liked The Diamond Age, but I found Cryptonomicon a little boring.
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Zodiac is a lot of fun, I've read it a few times. The Big U... is kinda messy, there's interesting bits, but it's definitely a first novel.
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I would have to consider myself more of a casual fan, and that's mainly because of Cryptonomicon, which is one of my favorite novels.
His other work has been kind of hit and miss for me. I had a lot of trouble getting into Snow Crash, but that could be due to my aversion to the cyberpunk genre.
I've read Quicksilver, and part of Confusion. My main problem with those books is that his writing often comes off as "Gee, aren't I smart?" His shifts between story and text book like presentation of history and science really bugs the hell out of me. I love learning about history as much as the next guy, but not when I'm reading a novel and it totally takes me out of the story. Sure, that kind of thing was present in Cryptonomicon, but IMO that was also a much better book, and a lot of the math was very intriguing.
I intend to finish the Baroque Cycle eventually, as the general consensus seems to be that things really pick up in the sequels.
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Really Fitz, you had trouble getting into Snow Crash? I got into that right away. Maybe because I have vast experience in the pizza delivery industry...but I was emmersed right from the beginning. I loved both Hiro and the female character(whose name escapes me at the moment), and all the Sumerian myth stuff. I even really loved the few segments written from the perspective of the robotic dog!
Every other book of his I've read, even including Crypto, took me a little bit to get in the swing of things and really enjoy the book. Though like I said, Crypto is far and away my favorite, and one of my favorites of all time.
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Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I picked it up right after reading Cryptonomicon, and found something totally different than I expected. The wrong kind of headspace for any type of appreciation, if you will. I might give it another stab in the future, though it's kind of tough for me to re-read a book I didn't like much when there are so many others that I haven't read even once. In any case, I look forward to his next release, just to see what he tackles next.
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I've read Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon. I liked them both, but prefer the former (of course, I also quite like Gibson). And "If we get out of this, will you be my girl?" is one of my favourite lines ever. Just... so good.
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I had trouble getting into snow crash as well. I loved Cryptonomicon and the entire Baroque Cycle. I intend to read his other work sometime soon.
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What I like best about reading Neal Stephenson is that I feel smarter than I really am when I read it.
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It took me a little while to get used to the writing style in the Baroque Cycle, but once I did, it was easy sailing from there. I still haven't gotten around to reading the third book, though.
Stephenson is probably my favorite writer, but I have my problems with him. He indulges in writing caricatures, sometimes. There is no real pain in his books that effects his characters. I mean, it happens, but the way he writes about it and the way the characters experience isn't a part of the story or made a big deal. It's a part of the landscape.
Now that I think about it, I think that kind of thing typifies the cyberpunk mode of writing. And, yes, I do consider him a 'cyberpunk'. Their stories often seem to be travelogues where the characters are used to explore the landscape of the future or past, and it is the landscape and things that matter moreso than the characters. I don't know if that makes any sense. You read Stephenson's books not for the characters, so much, but to be dazzled by the panorama, and with Stephenson' amazing ability to paint a scene and tell a story, the lack of character really doesn't matter very much.
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Cryptonomicon is certainly well deserving of every bit of praise thrown its way. The Baroque Cycle is very good, although certainly slower paced than a lot of other stories. Snow Crash and the Diamond Age are good. The Big U is horrible. Just flat out terrible.
And "in the beginning, there was the command line" is probably my favorite essay of all time, mostly because I'm a monstrous BeOS fanboy.
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quote:Stephenson is probably my favorite writer, but I have my problems with him. He indulges in writing caricatures, sometimes. There is no real pain in his books that effects his characters. I mean, it happens, but the way he writes about it and the way the characters experience isn't a part of the story or made a big deal. It's a part of the landscape.
Yeah, that's an interesting point. The best example I can think of Stephenson writing emoting characters is when Nell's a little girl in The Diamond Age, and a trace of emoting by the protagonist of Zodiac. (In the latter case, it's pretty faint, as Stephenson notes that he MEANT for the character to be a jerk.)
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I'm a huge Neal Stephenson fan. He's in my top five.
Zodiac is a lot of fun. I never finished The Big U. I was reading it while I looked at colleges, and it was too depressing.
Stephenson's also written some other books (w/his uncle, if I'm not mistaken) under a pseudonym, and they've recently been reissued under his name. I read Interface, which is fairly good. Not like his normal work. I kind of think of it as Stephenson-lite. Still worth checking out, though.
I'm currently rereading Quicksilver. I rushed the first time through, and didn't catch all the details. Decided it was probably better to get reaquainted before moving on to The Confusion.
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quote:Their stories often seem to be travelogues where the characters are used to explore the landscape of the future or past, and it is the landscape and things that matter moreso than the characters. I don't know if that makes any sense. You read Stephenson's books not for the characters, so much, but to be dazzled by the panorama, and with Stephenson' amazing ability to paint a scene and tell a story
It makes perfect sense actually, and I agree. His characters are either intellectuals, who he uses to explore interesting ideas, or action oriented people who he uses to put in fun situations and have them say witty things.
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quote:Originally posted by Miro: I'm a huge Neal Stephenson fan. He's in my top five.
Zodiac is a lot of fun. I never finished The Big U. I was reading it while I looked at colleges, and it was too depressing.
Stephenson's also written some other books (w/his uncle, if I'm not mistaken) under a pseudonym, and they've recently been reissued under his name. I read Interface, which is fairly good. Not like his normal work. I kind of think of it as Stephenson-lite. Still worth checking out, though.
I thought Interface was a hoot. I should have mentioned that as being among my favorite of his books. When I read it, I hadn't realized that "Stephen Bury" was actually Neal Stephenson and his father-in-law (I think).
The other book is Cobweb, which only recently became available again. I've heard that it's complete schlock, though.
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http://www.nealstephenson.com/ is his site, and conspicuous on it is one of his nicer hallmarks--the lack of any real overt political or ideological stance. Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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