Neal Stephenson

Sean

We'll see.
Joined
Feb 17, 2005
Posts
96,193
Kind of Umberto Eco crossed with William Gibson. Novels that actually make you think are as rare as rocking horse shit.

Go out and buy all his books, people.
 
Kind of Umberto Eco crossed with William Gibson. Novels that actually make you think are as rare as rocking horse shit.

Go out and buy all his books, people.

I just read his wiki and will put him in the que.
 
Only read Anathem.

It was like digging myself out of an avalanche for the first 50 pages out of 900, and after that it was rather fantastic.

What of his should I attack next?
 
Only read Anathem.

It was like digging myself out of an avalanche for the first 50 pages out of 900, and after that it was rather fantastic.

What of his should I attack next?

Funnily enough, I've just finished re-reading Anathem. I'd forgotten how fucking wonderful it is. I'm working my way back through his whole output. Cryptonomicon is in my rucksac for after dinner.
 
Kind of Umberto Eco crossed with William Gibson. Novels that actually make you think are as rare as rocking horse shit.

Go out and buy all his books, people.

I friggin :heart: him.

On my book shelf at home

Zodiac (eco warrior)
Snow Crash (cyber punk)
The Diamond Age (nanotech)
Cryptonomicon (codebreaking~a what if)
The Baroque Cycle~QuickSilver, The Confusion (missing book three)
 
I friggin :heart: him.

On my book shelf at home

Zodiac (eco warrior)
Snow Crash (cyber punk)
The Diamond Age (nanotech)
Cryptonomicon (codebreaking~a what if)
The Baroque Cycle~QuickSilver, The Confusion (missing book three)

I've never read Zodiac. Amazon when I get home.
 
i've a lot to look forward to by the sounds of it, having never read this guy before. cool!
 
I find his pedantic style unbearable. I'd rather just get the "info dump" from straight nonfiction.
 
I find his pedantic style unbearable. I'd rather just get the "info dump" from straight nonfiction.

I suspect the explication is at the behest of the publisher rather than the author. Publishers hate clever, as a rule, especially those that are selling to mass market.

How can you hate his ideas and his prose, though? It's beautiful.
 
I suspect the explication is at the behest of the publisher rather than the author. Publishers hate clever, as a rule, especially those that are selling to mass market.

How can you hate his ideas and his prose, though? It's beautiful.

I'm a knowitall myself, and I can't stand a fellow knowitall constantly oppressing me with his knowledge. I don't like Pynchon or David Foster Wallace either.
 
I'm a knowitall myself, and I can't stand a fellow knowitall constantly oppressing me with his knowledge. I don't like Pynchon or David Foster Wallace either.

Ha! This is why we're friends. I'll agree about Foster Wallace, he bores me rigid, but I love Pynchon. Eco? Gore Vidal? Terry Pratchett? All smartarses, all wonderful writers that stick their ideas up your arse when you aren't looking.
 
Diamond Age is still my favorite, though they're all at least good, most great. I kinda thought the Baroque Cycle got a little off track.
 
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