Snow Crash

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It's a hit!

Another classic Neal Stephenson brain twister. Not as complex and hard-to-follow/interwoven as Cryptonomicron. The technology aspect (how compute... (show more)

Another classic Neal Stephenson brain twister. Not as complex and hard-to-follow/interwoven as Cryptonomicron. The technology aspect (how computers are relating to people, the virtual reality of the Metaverse, etc) was a good, slightly out of phase with "real time", implementation - until I realized that the book was written almost 20 years ago. That raises the prophetic nature of the piece to all new heights.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book - again, a lot easier to read than Crypto (my first Stephenson). The interweaving of ancient pre-historical legends with modern day programming was an interesting link. Some have complained that the last 100 pages feel like Neal just gave up and wanted to complete the book. I don't disagree, but felt it was time to wrap things up, myself.

Snow Crash has caused me to go out and find some more Stephenson on Kindle. I'll be giving him another spin. (show less)

 

 

by Jason Scharton

No, it's a flop!

I have to say I was impressed in two ways...one by its scope and conception and second by its quick disintegration in the final 100 pages.

Of co... (show more)

I have to say I was impressed in two ways...one by its scope and conception and second by its quick disintegration in the final 100 pages.

Of course Stephenson's conception of the future as one run by international megacorperations is far from original but his ideas of a global mafia run pizza conglomerate; high tech, segregated--and viciously defended--suburbs; and cybernetic guard dogs I thought added a newness to the genre that had been struggling in William Gibson's shadow for a decade. He creates a future U.S. both familiar to those now in the 21st century but also frighteningly dated. The proliferation of virtual reality and the single domination of a proto-internet seems to fit much more into the 1990's view of the oncoming millennium than what actually happened. However it does seem at times that Walmart and Starbucks do indeed run the world, and Google Earth can now just about read the license plate on your car in the driveway.

In short, I really enjoyed the set up and the trek to the end. But it was in Stephenson's attempt to explain what was going on that he started to break down. Something tells me that as much as I was offended by the "history" in Cryptonomicon, a linguist would be horrified by his description of language's genesis. His explanation of Snow Crash also smacks of the late 80s/early 90s rush to compare the brain and its functions to a computer system. "Get it! A biological virus is just like a computer virus! And thoughts are just like packets of information!" Uh....not really. Thus in many ways I don't think the book holds up well over time. It's much more interesting to view the book from the stand point of what it says about the decade in which it was written as opposed to what it says about the future.

One final item that bugged the living hell out of me was his characterization. Stephenson should, put simply, never be allowed to write female characters. Both Y.T. and Juanita come across as how a 15 year old boy would envision women acting, right down to the "Raven's a psychopath driving around with a nuke[think trashcan man with a knife fetish] but he's got a big cock so I'll enjoy the sex with him." Add in Hiro asking super hot hacker Juanita to "be my girlfriend" once they save the world and it becomes a fanboy's wet dream.

So in the end despite a promising start, I was once again let down by N.S.'s work. After two books now, I think I'm just about done with him and will be perfectly happy to pass him by on subsequent trips to the bookstore. (show less)

 

 

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  I really loved this book! The characters were amazingly well written and their unique personalities leaped right off of the pages. The book touched on a lot of really interesting topics too, everything from persistent virtual spaces and neurolinguistic hacking to Sumerian Mythology and anthropology, with a touch of irony and social commentary. Very fun read. What really got me to were the hilarious descriptive one-liners that Stephenson sprinkles throughout the book. More than once I've caugh... (show more)

  I really loved this book! The characters were amazingly well written and their unique personalities leaped right off of the pages. The book touched on a lot of really interesting topics too, everything from persistent virtual spaces and neurolinguistic hacking to Sumerian Mythology and anthropology, with a touch of irony and social commentary. Very fun read. What really got me to were the hilarious descriptive one-liners that Stephenson sprinkles throughout the book. More than once I've caught myself in that awkward scenario where you're reading a book to yourself and can't help laughing out loud, only to look up and notice that now everybody around you is cautiously looking at you and slowly backing away like you are some sort of schizophrenic lunatic ready to beat them to senselessly to death with your book because the voices in your head said to do so. (show less)

   

   

  by James Harris on Nov 14, 2009 at 09:57PM

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  I didn't bother to look for when this book was published until after I was done, so I was mostly trying to figure out this amazing world of the future that didn't seem that futuristic. After learning that it was written in the early 90's, I can see where Stephenson was coming from.

  There were large pieces of the book that could have easily been left out and no one would have missed. And at one time there were so many characters running around in reality and the "metaverse" that... (show more)

  I didn't bother to look for when this book was published until after I was done, so I was mostly trying to figure out this amazing world of the future that didn't seem that futuristic. After learning that it was written in the early 90's, I can see where Stephenson was coming from.

  There were large pieces of the book that could have easily been left out and no one would have missed. And at one time there were so many characters running around in reality and the "metaverse" that you needed a scorecard to keep up. I was halfway through the book by the time I figured out his roommate was some sort of performer. I still don't understand the terrible rapper with the weird hair and why we were treated to the lyrics of one of his/her rhymes.

  That said, the story held my interest enough to get through it. I enjoyed the subject and style and will probably look into more of Stephenson's work just to give him another chance. (show less)

   

   

  by Mike Davis on Aug 26, 2009 at 07:25AM

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