Nicomallo

The childhood story was brilliant. I lost it completely at "just long enough to obscure myself behind a pine". It made me really glad he's back. Nick's storys are the best (Goldblum ect.).

My housemate and I are both $50 backers in Australia (so $60). Is there going to be a good place to let you guys know about this so you can combine and save postage?

I started reading at the start of semester, and realised I just couldn't keep it up. My new plan is to come back to it in the summer when I can devote more brain power to it.

I also found Snow Crash disappointing. I read it after Cryptonomicon and felt like the big idea stuff was pretty much irrelevant to the world outside the book. The language stuff was pretty much magic. I was intimdated to start the Baroque Cycle for the same reason, but I actually found it easier than I thought I would.