Anathem

[thainatos]

Recently, I've been re-reading Neal Stephenson's beginner course on logic, and it somehow reminds me of Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, which Famous holds so dear. It also feels like a follow-up to Cryptonomicon. It is a good book, and a great relief to read after being mostly disappointed with Reamde, which was more of a rip-roaring, rollicking ride. Any other Stephenson fans? Anyone have a clue about what he's working on now?

Also, I tried to have a conversation with one of my peers about the idea of polycosmic quantum entanglement, but I ended up just stuttering something about pink, nerve-gas-farting dragons. Oh well.

[mikemariano]

I really enjoyed that Anathem had so many shifts in its setups and it still pulled them off successfully. I had no idea what was going on at the end but still enjoyed reading it.

Meanwhile, Reamde only had one big shift and it bored me terrifically.

Spoiler?

In Reamde I thought it was odd that the terrorists committed almost no directly observed violence. We know that they are robbing and murdering innocents, but in person we mostly see them running away from trigger-happy, suicide bombing Americans. When they shoot back it's in self-defense!

[gregbrown]

I really enjoyed that Anathem had so many shifts in its setups and it still pulled them off successfully. I had no idea what was going on at the end but still enjoyed reading it.

Same here; as a long-time Stephenson reader it was great to go in blind, trusting that he'd work himself into an interesting place and being shocked each time he changed-up. (And as a philosophy major, pleased to see he didn't butcher anything as he sort of borrowed and reworked some of that field's history.)

I think the Baroque Cycle is still my favorite, but Anathem isn't far behind.

[Jake]

The feeling of allowing yourself to be carried along by Stephenson, trusting that at some point your feet will hit the ground is one I relish. Reading both Anathem and Cryptonomicon put me in a place where my brain was in overdrive, accruing tons of information and stewing on new concepts, without the safety net of fully knowing why it was doing so. As things start to drastically shift, to shift again, and then to land, it's pretty exhilarating.

I haven't brought myself to read the Baroque Cycle. I've read Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, Anathem, and Interface (one of the political thrillers he co-wrote), so I imagine I'll like it but I am wary of starting it for some reason. It feels like a lot to bite off, even though I'm basically sure it will be worth it.

[gregbrown]

The feeling of allowing yourself to be carried along by Stephenson, trusting that at some point your feet will hit the ground is one I relish. Reading both Anathem and Cryptonomicon put me in a place where my brain was in overdrive, accruing tons of information and stewing on new concepts, without the safety net of fully knowing why it was doing so. As things start to drastically shift, to shift again, and then to land, it's pretty exhilarating.

I haven't brought myself to read the Baroque Cycle. I've read Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, Anathem, and Interface (one of the political thrillers he co-wrote), so I imagine I'll like it but I am wary of starting it for some reason. It feels like a lot to bite off, even though I'm basically sure it will be worth it.

It's one of the tougher ones to tackle because Stephenson separates the two central threads that tend to drive his plots—slow-payoff systemic thinking and quick-payoff wacky antics—into two separate characters… and leads off with the slow-payoff character. The first 100 pages look like historical dithering, but they set up the driving concerns of the whole cycle and pay off in a big way by the third book. It's also the example I always pull out when I explain the difference between science-fiction and science-fantasy, because it's a brilliant example of the former under the guise of historical fiction. Just no pew pew laser beams.

[Laco]

It's one of the tougher ones to tackle because Stephenson separates the two central threads that tend to drive his plots—slow-payoff systemic thinking and quick-payoff wacky antics—into two separate characters… and leads off with the slow-payoff character. The first 100 pages look like historical dithering, but they set up the driving concerns of the whole cycle and pay off in a big way by the third book.

A few years back I decided I ought to read some Stephenson, and for some reason picked Quicksilver as the place to start. I must have got most of the way through that 100 pages of (what felt like) historical dithering before basically losing interest. Now I realise it was probably about the least appropriate starting point.

[Chris]

What's a good Stephenson starting point for someone who isn't so much into scifi/lore/etc.? It seems like he probably has things I would be in to, and a lot of people whose opinions I respect like him (including some in this thread) but he also seems to get mentioned in the same breath as some really genre-oriented authors I know aren't for me.

[Laxan]

What's a good Stephenson starting point for someone who isn't so much into scifi/lore/etc.? It seems like he probably has things I would be in to, and a lot of people whose opinions I respect like him (including some in this thread) but he also seems to get mentioned in the same breath as some really genre-oriented authors I know aren't for me.

I asked this recently and the consensus was definitely Snow Crash first, then Cryptonomicon.

[Chris]

I asked this recently and the consensus was definitely Snow Crash first, then Cryptonomicon.

I read Snow Crash and heavily disliked it. It's the only Stephenson I've read so far.

[Nappi]

I asked this recently and the consensus was definitely Snow Crash first, then Cryptonomicon.

I chose Snow Crash too, though mainly because it was less than 1000 pages long. I haven't actually read, or even bought, it yet.

[Chris]

I chose Snow Crash too, though mainly because it was less than 1000 pages long. I haven't actually read, or even bought, it yet.

I know a lot of people like it, but I'm looking for something that ISN'T a totally wacky sci-fi thing. From general discussion and reputation, I gather Stephenson spans a pretty decent range there, even when he still has futuristic or sci-fi elements, so I'm specifically looking for an entry point for someone who is less into the genre side of things.

[Nappi]

Having read the premise of the book again in Wikipedia, I'm actually interested to hear the answer to that inquiry as well.

[Michael]

What's a good Stephenson starting point for someone who isn't so much into scifi/lore/etc.? It seems like he probably has things I would be in to, and a lot of people whose opinions I respect like him (including some in this thread) but he also seems to get mentioned in the same breath as some really genre-oriented authors I know aren't for me.

I would definitely start with Reamde, then. It's very Stepehenson-esque while still being his most accessible book. I just finished it and really enjoyed it. It's more of a straight up thriller than a genre book.

edit: To elaborate, I thought it had great pacing and memorable characters. My heart lies with the Baroque Cycle, as those are my absolute favorite Stephenson works. I've read almost everything he's written, and feel like Reamde is the best place to start, followed by Cryptonomicon. Then, if one were still so inclined to continue with the author, Snow Crash and then the Baroque Cycle. I actually didn't care for Anathem.

[thainatos]

I read Diamond Age and then Snow Crash, because some friends recommended them, and then I read Cryptonomicon. It wasn't interest so much as boredom that spurred my reading the latter, but I would say it fundamentally altered my opinion of his works. When you read a 5-page summary of the theory behind Van-Eck Phreaking, juxtaposed with an essay concerning the foundations of sexuality, and you want more, then you're either a Stephenson fan or you're surfing Wikipedia.

[brkl]

The Diamond Age is sweet, but I suppose it's too genre (very different from Snow Crash, though). I enjoyed REAMDE a lot, but it's more of a thriller and doesn't quite have the depth of Stephenson's other work. The Baroque Cycle is too long to recommend and was too much of a historical adventure tale for me anyway.

I also liked Anathem, but maybe that's still too sci-fi for your taste, which would leave Cryptonomicon, which is terrific. But if I was recommending Stephenson for anyone who hadn't forbidden genre, I'd recommend The Diamond Age. At least you'd lose less time if you didn't like it.

[tabacco]

I haven't read Reamde yet, but Cryptonomicon is probably a decent starting point for you, Chris. It's not genre at all (though it does have a parallel storyline that takes place in the past)

[Jake]

I'd recommend Cryptonomicon as well, as it's one of the straighter ones in terms of setting. I havent read the Baroque Cycle yet though so I can't speak to them.

[Chris]

I haven't read Reamde yet, but Cryptonomicon is probably a decent starting point for you, Chris. It's not genre at all (though it does have a parallel storyline that takes place in the past)

Cool, I will pick it up. (I can't imagine something like a parallel storyline bothering me at all; one of my favorite novels Cloud Atlas is composed of six of them!)

[gregbrown]

I'd recommend Cryptonomicon as well, as it's one of the straighter ones in terms of setting. I havent read the Baroque Cycle yet though so I can't speak to them.

Yeah, I'd recommend this one as well and the Baroque Cycle is a great follow up if you enjoyed it. Knowing you enjoyed The Name of the Rose makes me think you'll love the Baroque Cycle, but Cryptonomicon is probably a good first step to wash the bad taste of Snow Crash out of your mouth. Anathem is also a great one but best digested with more Stephenson experience.

The Diamond Age is the only one of his works (from what I recall) that doesn't have action sequences, so you might dig that as well. However, it's set in The Future and has a weird subplot that suddenly lurches into the foreground for the ending. But it's definitely not the bro-as-fuck action movie that Snow Crash becomes at times.

God, I need to read the Baroque Cycle again this summer. Such a great work.

[ysbreker]

How can anyone have a bad taste in his/here mouth after reading snow crash? I don't understand what you don't like about that book.

[brkl]

It's pretty uneven and the plot gets all weird towards the end. At the beginning it seems to posit itself somewhat as a satire of cyberpunk, but that's lost at some point. I thought it was a fun read, and had some clever insights about how internet culture was going to look like, but it's definitely my least favourite of Stephenson's books.

[Jake]

It's pretty uneven and the plot gets all weird towards the end.

The pacing of a lot of his stuff is weird towards the end. I thought both Cryptonomicon and Anathem had crazy endings. He doesn't really relish the aftermath of his stories at all I guess, and just getting there is what's important.

[brkl]

I suppose that's true. It's likely I've just forgotten the particulars of how the stories developed. But Snow Crash is the only one where for me it felt to me while I was reading it like it kind of fell apart.

[Nicomallo]

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.

It feels like a lot to bite off, even though I'm basically sure it will be worth it.

I was intimdated to start the Baroque Cycle for the same reason, but I actually found it easier than I thought I would.

[ysbreker]

Please don't forget that Snow crash was published in 1992. So do keep that in mind when you read (or complain about) it being dated or inaccurate. I do have to agree with you all that his endings are almost always rather abrupt and not exactly logical. But the journey is so very much worth it.

I mean what is not to love about the books opening:

The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed subcategory. He's got esprit up to here. Right now, he is preparing to carry out his third mission of the night. His uniform is black as activated charcoal, filtering the very light out of the air. A bullet will bounce off its arachnofiber weave like a wren hitting a patio door, but excess perspiration wafts through it like a breeze through a freshly napalmed forest. Where his body has bony extremities, the suit has sintered armorgel: feels like a gritty jello, protects like a stack of telephone books.

When they gave him the job, they gave him a gun. The Deliverator never deals in cash, but someone might come after him anyway - might want his car, or his cargo. The gun is tiny, aerostyled, lightweight, the kind of gun a fashion designer would carry; it fires teensy darts that fly five times the velocity of an SR-71 spy plane, and when you get done using it, you have to plug it into the cigarette lighter, because it runs on electricity.

The Deliverator never pulled his gun in anger, or in fear. He pulled it once in Gila Highlands. Some punks in Gila Highlands, a fancy Burbclave, wanted themselves a delivery, and they didn't want to pay for it. Thought they would impress the Deliverator with a baseball hat. The Deliverator took out his gun, centered its laser doohickey on that poised Louisville Slugger, fired it. The recoil was immense, as though the weapon had blown up in his hand. The middle third of the baseball bat turned in to a column of burning sawdust accelerating in all directions like a bursting star. Punk ended up holding this bat handle with milky smoke pouring out the end. Stupid look on his face. Didn't get nothing but trouble from Deliverator.

Since then Deliverator has kept the gun in glove compartment and relied, instead, on a matched set of samurai swords, which have always been his weapon of choice anyhow. The punks in Gila Highlands weren't afraid of the gun, so the Deliverator was forced to use it. But swords need no demonstration.

The Deliverator's car has enough potential energy packed into its batteries to fire a pound of bacon into the Asteroid Belt. Unlike a bimbo box or a Burb beater, the Deliverator's car unloads that power through gaping, gleaming, polished sphincters. When the Deliverator puts the hammer down, shit happens. You want to talk contact patches? Your car's tires have tiny contact patches, talk to the asphalt in four places size of your tongue. The Deliverator's car has big sticky tires with contact pat ches size of a fat lady's thighs. The Deliverator is in touch with the road, starts like a bad day, stops on peseta.