esrosedotblog

READING

I finished Neal Stephenson's CRYPTONOMICON; three novels in one. The stories are interlinked and it is written in the historical novel mode although the period covered is only from about 1939 to the present. I enjoyed it so much that I went back to his earlier cyberpunk* works. I have just finished SNOWCRASH. It is pretty good. All computerized and heavy on the dark view and funny too. It is a tight, exciting, chase/conspiracy story written over a complex web of science fiction. It happens at two levels: the metaverse which is all a computer game sort of, only huge; and in reality—the US as it has become in a short time after now. It is kind of overcrowded and filled with franchised real estate. The hero, Hiro (yep), is a superhero in the metaverse and just a regular dude in the real world. By the end, he is a hero in both.

Now, I am working on the book Stephenson wrote next: DIAMOND AGE. This one is based on nano-technology. Both of these earlier works are very techie and while being page turners, require some thought and reflection to 'get'. I move slowly with them. Our author is a polymath and scatters his mots (most of which are bon) generously; like salt and pepper; a very rich, spicy stew.

Next will be ZODIAC, a present day 'eco-thriller'. I am working my way to the present and will start reading his new trilogy which is way-historical 18th Century. This guy is all over the place! He has only written the first two out of three trils (one third of trilogy) so far: CONFUSION and QUICKSILVER. They are enormous. I will be at this a long time. Then, I plan to get back to the other 'cyberpunk' writers. Busy.

*CYBERPUNK= a brand of science fiction noir that is heavy on technology and futuristic grit. See William Gibson's NECROMANCER.