Neal Stephenson - Page 2

pilotbob · 11-10-2008, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

i suddenly have a powerful urge to read that book.

In "Heros" one of the character's name is "Hiro".

BOb

Taylor514ce · 11-10-2008, 02:14 PM

I know. I thought at the time it was a blatant rip-off.

Timoleon · 11-24-2008, 07:27 PM

Slashdot has a book review of Stephenson's "Anathem" up right now --- there have been 225 comments on it so far today, with lots of opinions on Stephenson in general and recommendations on what to read and what not to read of his.

www.slashdot.com

Tim

P.S.: Believe it or not, I've never read any Stephenson, but I guess I will tackle the "big three" after the first of the year: Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, and The Diamond Age.

Penforhire · 11-25-2008, 06:16 PM

Snow Crash was brilliant and 'clean.' I felt Cryptonomicon was not so cleanly written. Almost as if he shrugged off any editor's comments and left in every possible turn of phrase that caught his fancy. While it was enjoyable and explored several large themes I continue hesitating to dive into the Baroque cycle. His ancestral/reincarnated lead characters are just too cute as a concept. I figure to tackle Anathem first.

I was a little disappointed by the Diamond Age. I consider myself an above-average reader and still I had to work too hard to flesh out the background. It probably hurt that my gut feeling is if we ever manipulated nanoscopic self-replicating machinery to that extent we'd kill our entire race before gaining the control suggested there (e.g. Crichton's Prey or maybe just grey goo).

ShortNCuddlyAm · 11-25-2008, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penforhire

While it was enjoyable and explored several large themes I continue hesitating to dive into the Baroque cycle. His ancestral/reincarnated lead characters are just too cute as a concept. I figure to tackle Anathem first.

I don't feel that it detracts from The Baroque cycle, though. The characters stand very much on their own merits; and Daniel, Jack and Eliza seemed far more rounded and real than any of their line in Cryptonomicon. Maybe because they'd had three chunky books and one timeline to develop over, as opposed to one book with two time lines.

Anathem is a very good read too.

Although with all those four boooks... they are wordy as well as lengthy, if that makes sense. They're not as snappy as Snow Crash, certainly.

Quote:

I was a little disappointed by the Diamond Age. I consider myself an above-average reader and still I had to work too hard to flesh out the background.

There's parts I like about Diamond Age, and a lot more I really wanted to like. It's not his strongest book, unfortunately.

Quote:

It probably hurt that my gut feeling is if we ever manipulated nanoscopic self-replicating machinery to that extent we'd kill our entire race before gaining the control suggested there (e.g. Crichton's Prey or maybe just grey goo).

Or pink goo

carandol · 11-26-2008, 05:56 PM

I'm in the middle of Anathem at the moment, and finding it unputdownable. But then, I've just done a degree in the History, Philosophy and Sociology of Science, so that may make a difference.

I had to give up reading the Baroque Cycle while doing my degree because I was losing track of what was real history and what Stephenson had made up. His Isaac Newton is so good that I had to keep reminding myself that he didn't really have a room-mate called Daniel Waterhouse.

TimS · 01-01-2009, 01:24 AM

Upon reading The Diary of Samuel Pepys, I noticed a mention of a person with the last name of Waterhouse.

HappyMartin · 01-01-2009, 02:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carandol

I'm in the middle of Anathem at the moment, and finding it unputdownable. But then, I've just done a degree in the History, Philosophy and Sociology of Science, so that may make a difference.

Absolutely loved this book and could not put it down.

mjh215 · 01-01-2009, 11:40 AM

I recently finished Snow Crash, a few months back I had read Diamond Age. I didn't dislike them, but I felt they were overrated. I think part of the problem is that when I read the books so much felt forced, like straight out of Popular Science, just to appeal to that crowd. As well as character stereotypes, from race to sex to general knowledge and personalities. They seemed to be typical cliches I find in all new books and films today. Take whatever the "norm" was thirty years ago and reverse it which can be just as insulting as the original.

What I eventually realized was that I most likely would have loved the books when they first came out in the early to mid-90s, when they were quite original. (And I did go in for patting myself on the back for recognizing tech/science references more

) The books definitely suck you in and keep you wanting to flip the pages. I'm not really sure why his books leave me like that while a book written 40 years ago doesn't suffer the same ravages of time. Perhaps it was the perception I had going into the book?

I'm probably going to give Anathem a try, I think keeping closer to the publication date helps with his works, at least for me.

-MJ

Libby Cone · 01-02-2009, 08:38 PM

Like RWJ, my husband reads mainly nonfiction. Cryptonomicon was one book we both enjoyed (though we remember different parts of it!).

acidzebra · 01-15-2009, 05:56 AM

I've been a fan of his earlier work. I've had the Baroque Cycle on my reading list for ages, started on it three times, but I've only now "connected" to the story. Took me 1/3 of the first book before I got there which is unprecedented for me. But now I can't seem to stop reading it.

Come to think of it, it took me a long time to get into Cryptonomicon as well.

HappyMartin · 01-15-2009, 08:30 AM

I just finished Snow Crash. I really enjoyed it. I find the plots of his books a bit silly, basically heroes getting girls and shooting and stuff but then he hangs all these great ideas off the stories and that gets me hanging on. Well that was the case for me with Snow Crash and Anathem. Will give more of his books a go but not sure what next

acidzebra · 01-15-2009, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HappyMartin

I just finished Snow Crash. I really enjoyed it. I find the plots of his books a bit silly, basically heroes getting girls and shooting and stuff but then he hangs all these great ideas off the stories and that gets me hanging on. Well that was the case for me with Snow Crash and Anathem. Will give more of his books a go but not sure what next

If you enjoyed Snow Crash you are sure to enjoy Diamond Age and Zodiac. I haven't read Anathem (huge reading backlog) - how was it?

HappyMartin · 01-16-2009, 02:12 PM

I loved Anathem.

I am a pretty ignorant person I think and had never heard of Neal Stephenson. Anathem was recommended in Time mag and so I hopped on the computer and found it for sale.(I share that with you because I am still infatuated with the process

) I read it under hugely pleasant circumstances and that may have coloured it. I will take your recommendations and try the others. I used to choose books by looking at the cover and the size of the book and then would read a few passages. I have to be more educated buying online I find and so take lots of recommendations on this forum pretty seriously.

desertgrandma · 01-16-2009, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HappyMartin

I loved Anathem.

I am a pretty ignorant person I think and had never heard of Neal Stephenson. Anathem was recommended in Time mag and so I hopped on the computer and found it for sale.(I share that with you because I am still infatuated with the process

) I read it under hugely pleasant circumstances and that may have coloured it. I will take your recommendations and try the others. I used to choose books by looking at the cover and the size of the book and then would read a few passages. I have to be more educated buying online I find and so take lots of recommendations on this forum pretty seriously.

there is a difference between 'ignorance' and 'being uninformed'. You were simply 'uninformed'.

11-24-2008, 07:27 PM	#18
Timoleon Time Enough at Last Posts: 387 Karma: 1151316 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: New England Device: iPad 3, iPhone 5, Kindle 3, Fire, Sony PRS-350	Slashdot has a book review of Stephenson's "Anathem" up right now --- there have been 225 comments on it so far today, with lots of opinions on Stephenson in general and recommendations on what to read and what not to read of his. www.slashdot.com Tim P.S.: Believe it or not, I've never read any Stephenson, but I guess I will tackle the "big three" after the first of the year: Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, and The Diamond Age. Last edited by Timoleon; 11-24-2008 at 09:21 PM.

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11-10-2008, 02:14 PM	#17
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	I know. I thought at the time it was a blatant rip-off.

11-25-2008, 06:16 PM	#19
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	Snow Crash was brilliant and 'clean.' I felt Cryptonomicon was not so cleanly written. Almost as if he shrugged off any editor's comments and left in every possible turn of phrase that caught his fancy. While it was enjoyable and explored several large themes I continue hesitating to dive into the Baroque cycle. His ancestral/reincarnated lead characters are just too cute as a concept. I figure to tackle Anathem first. I was a little disappointed by the Diamond Age. I consider myself an above-average reader and still I had to work too hard to flesh out the background. It probably hurt that my gut feeling is if we ever manipulated nanoscopic self-replicating machinery to that extent we'd kill our entire race before gaining the control suggested there (e.g. Crichton's Prey or maybe just grey goo).

11-26-2008, 05:56 PM	#21
carandol Evangelist Posts: 423 Karma: 2153430 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: BeBook	I'm in the middle of Anathem at the moment, and finding it unputdownable. But then, I've just done a degree in the History, Philosophy and Sociology of Science, so that may make a difference. I had to give up reading the Baroque Cycle while doing my degree because I was losing track of what was real history and what Stephenson had made up. His Isaac Newton is so good that I had to keep reminding myself that he didn't really have a room-mate called Daniel Waterhouse.

01-01-2009, 01:24 AM	#22
TimS Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Fishers, Indiana Device: Sony PRS-505	Upon reading The Diary of Samuel Pepys, I noticed a mention of a person with the last name of Waterhouse.

01-01-2009, 11:40 AM	#24
mjh215 Guru Posts: 988 Karma: 12653 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: None of your business	I recently finished Snow Crash, a few months back I had read Diamond Age. I didn't dislike them, but I felt they were overrated. I think part of the problem is that when I read the books so much felt forced, like straight out of Popular Science, just to appeal to that crowd. As well as character stereotypes, from race to sex to general knowledge and personalities. They seemed to be typical cliches I find in all new books and films today. Take whatever the "norm" was thirty years ago and reverse it which can be just as insulting as the original. What I eventually realized was that I most likely would have loved the books when they first came out in the early to mid-90s, when they were quite original. (And I did go in for patting myself on the back for recognizing tech/science references more ) The books definitely suck you in and keep you wanting to flip the pages. I'm not really sure why his books leave me like that while a book written 40 years ago doesn't suffer the same ravages of time. Perhaps it was the perception I had going into the book? I'm probably going to give Anathem a try, I think keeping closer to the publication date helps with his works, at least for me. -MJ

01-02-2009, 08:38 PM	#25
Libby Cone scribbler Posts: 117 Karma: 246 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Philadelphia USA Device: Kindle	Like RWJ, my husband reads mainly nonfiction. Cryptonomicon was one book we both enjoyed (though we remember different parts of it!).

01-15-2009, 05:56 AM	#26
acidzebra Liseuse Lover Posts: 869 Karma: 1035404 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Netherlands Device: PRS-505	I've been a fan of his earlier work. I've had the Baroque Cycle on my reading list for ages, started on it three times, but I've only now "connected" to the story. Took me 1/3 of the first book before I got there which is unprecedented for me. But now I can't seem to stop reading it. Come to think of it, it took me a long time to get into Cryptonomicon as well.

01-15-2009, 08:30 AM	#27
HappyMartin Martin Kristiansen Posts: 1,546 Karma: 8480958 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Johannesburg Device: Kindle International Ipad 2	I just finished Snow Crash. I really enjoyed it. I find the plots of his books a bit silly, basically heroes getting girls and shooting and stuff but then he hangs all these great ideas off the stories and that gets me hanging on. Well that was the case for me with Snow Crash and Anathem. Will give more of his books a go but not sure what next

01-16-2009, 02:12 PM	#29
HappyMartin Martin Kristiansen Posts: 1,546 Karma: 8480958 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Johannesburg Device: Kindle International Ipad 2	I loved Anathem. I am a pretty ignorant person I think and had never heard of Neal Stephenson. Anathem was recommended in Time mag and so I hopped on the computer and found it for sale.(I share that with you because I am still infatuated with the process ) I read it under hugely pleasant circumstances and that may have coloured it. I will take your recommendations and try the others. I used to choose books by looking at the cover and the size of the book and then would read a few passages. I have to be more educated buying online I find and so take lots of recommendations on this forum pretty seriously.

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