The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson. Recently got around to finally reading it. I know Snow Crash is considered his best sci-fi novel (and it’s amazing, too), but I think I liked this one even better.
Snow Crash is funny and weird and action packed, but its light-hearted tone diffuses the tension. The Diamond Age, by contrast, had a lot of hair-raising moments and characters I was really invested in.
I recently re-read it after reading it for the first time in the early ‘00s.
I think it holds up very well, as a testament to the time it was written in. It was also quite prophetic. There was a lot that went over my head back then.
FWIW I picked up & put down Anathem a few different times before it "clicked" for me — the made up words made it hard to get into at first. But now it's one of my favorite Stephenson novels.
Its campiness and cartooniness are very much intentional - nobody names their main character Hiro Protagonist without some very deliberate stylistic choices.
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The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson. Recently got around to finally reading it. I know Snow Crash is considered his best sci-fi novel (and it’s amazing, too), but I think I liked this one even better.
Snow Crash is funny and weird and action packed, but its light-hearted tone diffuses the tension. The Diamond Age, by contrast, had a lot of hair-raising moments and characters I was really invested in.
I always thought Cryptonomicon would be the go-to stephenson recommendation for nerds, but I guess it reads very dated now.
I recently re-read it after reading it for the first time in the early ‘00s.
I think it holds up very well, as a testament to the time it was written in. It was also quite prophetic. There was a lot that went over my head back then.
It's still great.
I think Stephenson's one of those authors where it's worth going through his work in order of publication starting with Snow Crash.
Can call it historical fiction now.
just started reading Anathem. Not sure how I feel about it, nor if this was a good book to start reading Neal Stephenson. But time will tell :D
FWIW I picked up & put down Anathem a few different times before it "clicked" for me — the made up words made it hard to get into at first. But now it's one of my favorite Stephenson novels.
A less-steep place to start with him might be:
- Snowcrash
- The Diamond Age
- Seveneves
I really like Seveneves, but I do feel like it’s the beginning of a larger piece.
Agreed. I think it itself could've been split into two books, and could easily merit a sequel or two.
But I suppose wanting more is better than the opposite?
I read Cryptonomicon and liked it okay, but I have not been able to get into the other Stephenson books I tried to read.
I like that Snow Crash doesn't take itself too seriously. Reamde was also a not too heavy Stephenson read.
I know I'm on the outside here, but I think Snow Crash is dumb, campy and cartoony.
Diamond Age and Anathem are far better.
Its campiness and cartooniness are very much intentional - nobody names their main character Hiro Protagonist without some very deliberate stylistic choices.