Any Fans of Neal Stephenson?

[Dave]

I've not read any of his work, but I was looking at Cryptonomicon in the bookstore the other day...

Should I take the plunge and acquire it?

I enjoyed it, but I can't say whether you would without knowing what you like. His background is as a geographer and computer scientist. Both 'Cryptonomicon' and 'Snow Crash' deal with codes and cyphers which he seems to like. If you like the 'Da Vinci Code' kind of puzzle you would like his work, and his history is more accurate than Dan Brown's. I know that many people here don't like things classified or compartmentalised or compared but 'Snow Crash' and 'The Diamond Age' are Cyberpunk, 'Interface' is a kind of Michael Crichton techno-thriller, 'Zodiac' is an eco-thriller, and 'Crytonomicon' and the Baroque Cycle books are historical. I like him partly because he is difficult to classify, his books cross so many different genres.

 

[littlemissattitude]

Thanks, Dave. You said all the right things, so I think I'll have to buy it. I do like DaVinci Code type stories although I didn't find Brown's book a particulary good example. It kept me turning the pages, but I pretty much knew what was going to happen before it ever did. And you're right about Brown's history. I'm enough of a history buff that his missteps there bothered me. So, it sounds like Cryptonomicon might be just my cup of tea.

 

[Hiro Protagonist]

Just look at my username and the question stated in the title of this topic should be answered.

I have read all of his books, and thought they were all amazing. The first book I read of his was Snow Crash, and it was Snow Crash which led me to read his others. Assuming Snow Crash affects you the same way it affected me, it should be the first Neal Stephenson book you read. The cyberpunk combined with an ass kicking main character made it a great read. From there I would read Cryptonomicon, and then you can choose the others.

One of my favorite authors, no doubt.

 

[Green]

I started reading Quicksilver, and found the Waterhouse plot fascinating. I couldn't put the book down throughout this section, but then it just switched to a completely separate character, and my interest in the book nosedived. Perhaps because of my science background and my general interest in the history of science, the Shaftoe stuff just couldn't hold my attention in comparison.

It's well-written and meticulous, and I do plan on one day returning to the book, but I was so disappointed by the character shift that it may not be for a long time.

 

[GOLLUM]

Due to the nature of the Baroque cycle I'm periodically dipping in and out of the books (in page order) whilst reading other stuff.

 

[tantric]

Am I the only one who expected another Cryptonomicon novel?

 

[littlemissattitude]

Okay. I finished Cryptonomicon. Now I can say it...I'm definitely a Stephenson fan. As I said over in the "what are you reading" thread, the math and most of the crypography stuff in the book went completely over my head. On the other, the writing was amazing, and the plot lines were involving. Good, good book.

 

[Allegra]

I read Snow Crash and The Diamond Age and am looking forward to reading Cryptonomicon. The Baroque cycle is very tempting except these books are so massive I quess you must have plenty of time and a supersonic reading speed - I have neither.

 

[Coolhand]

I've only read snow-crash. Really liked a lot of it (a samurai sword wielding pizza delivery guy with the second name Protagonist, YT the skate punk, the idea of ancient verbal hacking of the mind and a rail-gun named "Reason". That gag had me chuckling.

I did think it went off on the occasional dull tangent though. The stuff focused on YT's mum and a few other minor characters was so bizarrely boring in an otherwise cool book that I wondered if a few random pages from another novel got switched around in the print factories.

On the whole, Me Like.