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Topic: Anyone read Neal Stephenson?

jh
Ex-Member

posted August 10, 1999 05:25 AM

I bought "Cryptonomicon" earlier this year but haven't started it yet. I decided to read some of his earlier stuff first, namely "Snow Crash." I'm only about 100 pages into it but I gotta say, he's pretty good. Any thoughts?

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Proverbs for Paranoids, 3: If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers.

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Xentrick
good to go
Member # 64

posted August 10, 1999 04:42 PM

Agree Agree Agree

If you can, get to "The Diamond Age," which matches the style of "Snow Crash" in that there are several simultaneous stories and big philosophies which will meet each other during the course of the novel.

God, I envy this guy his talent.

Registered: Mar 1999 | IP: Logged

jh
Ex-Member

posted August 11, 1999 02:06 AM

Have you read "Cryptonomicon"? I was originally attracted to it because it was drawing a lot of comparisons to Pynchon, but with a sci-fi twist, which just sounds like a fantastic angle. Plus there were some really interesting comments from him on Salon.com.

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Proverbs for Paranoids, 3: If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers.

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The First One
A lovely little thinker, but a bugger when he's pissed
Member # 35

posted August 11, 1999 05:24 AM

He's good. Main problem he has is with ending his stories. It's as if he just gave up, both on "Snow Crash" and "The Diamond Age."

Registered: Mar 1999 | IP: Logged

Xentrick
good to go
Member # 64

posted August 12, 1999 02:34 PM

Yes, sadly true. Genius at research, plot, characters, world-details... but both of his previous tomes have had weak endings.

Registered: Mar 1999 | IP: Logged

jh
Ex-Member

posted August 16, 1999 05:22 AM

Agreed. I just finished Snow Crash and though the build up toward the end was well done, I think, the end itself came so abruptly that it made me wonder if I had misread something or skipped over a page. I hope Cryptonomicon does better.

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Proverbs for Paranoids, 3: If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers.

IP: Logged

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