Neal Stephenson - if you've never read him...

**Pete Hanlin** · 12-18-2005, 12:39 PM

If you consider "Lord of the Rings" light reading, if you enjoyed "A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe," or, if you just like reading books that are terribly interesting and humorous that few people will probably ever read, then I highly recommend Neal Stephenson as an author you should check out!

A while back, I read his book "Cryptonomicon," a 900+ page novel that jumps around in different times and delves into the world of cryptography, smuggling, WWII, etc.

Last Christmas, I dove into Part I of a trilogy (I almost typed "a three part trilogy," but that would be just a bit redundant, no?), Quicksilver. After surviving this close to 900 page volume, it took a year to gain the courage to return to the trilogy, but I am presently halfway through Part II The Confusion (which is a better book, but yes, if I had it to do over again I would still read Part I- its entertaining and sets up Part II).

I would love to hear from anyone else who has weathered one of Stephenson's books. His style is simultaneously irreverent, aesthetic, intellectual, low-brow, amusing, and sad.

**Steve Machol** · 12-18-2005, 07:54 PM

Excellent author. I read his first 3 or 4 books but I haven't yet read his latest ones. They are on my list. :)

**Chairtime** · 12-19-2005, 09:11 AM

Thanks for the suggestion, but the only 900 page book I would ever buy is a dictionary. I'm just not much of a fiction fan.

**Jubilee** · 12-19-2005, 10:20 PM

I love Neal Stephenson, got drawn in with SnowCrash, and still making time to read the rest. I have that trilogy on my list, I just now need time to read something other than textbooks, and optiboard ;)

Cassandra

**Pete Hanlin** · 12-21-2005, 10:17 PM

Glad I'm not alone (one senses when reading Stephenson that most people might not appreciate his style)! I encourage you to dig into the trilogy as soon as you can. I'll be surprised if you aren't all enamored with "Half-cocked" Jack Shaftoe (aka King of the Vagabonds).Enjoy...

**Ocular Sinister** · 10-22-2008, 05:47 PM

I too am a HUGE Neal Stephenson fan (don't like his books THAT much, but I am in fact HUGE) But my question is, have you read his new book yet, and what do you think? I haven't seen it yet, I'm still trying to finish of Thomas Pynchon's last book. These thousand page novels do tend to bog one down.

**Grubendol** · 10-22-2008, 06:04 PM

I'm a ginormous Stephenson fan. Have read all of the Baroque Cycle 4 times, Cryptonomicon 3 times, Snow Crash 5 times, etc. etc.

I got Anathem 3 months before it came out and had it finished before the publish date.

The new book is heady and heavy...Not a light read, but so many layers it's very re-readable. I don't think it will appeal to as many as his other books but if you like his style and stuff you'll love it.

EDIT: My daughter's name comes from him, and the sig line is a sample of the tattoo I'm getting for my daughter's birth

**Shwing** · 11-16-2008, 01:02 PM

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjourna...8-02d232507436

New Book, haven't read it yeat, looking forward to, though...

**Scrumblydumpus** · 11-16-2008, 01:50 PM

I am about halfway through Anathem, and I LOVE it.

I read about 100 pages into quicksilver... I couldent bring myself to get any further.

**Grubendol** · 11-16-2008, 02:16 PM

Do me a favor and go back to Quicksilver and try it again. It takes about 300 pages before the story really starts to take and off and then it is INCREDIBLE.

**Shwing** · 11-22-2008, 12:31 AM

Do try Quicksilver again. I just blasted through it in a couple of weeks, and picked up "Confusion" earlier this week- couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Need to finish the whole series before moving on to Anathem; but I saw Scott Card has a new "Ender" companion out...

**Grubendol** · 11-26-2008, 04:56 PM

Confusion is by far the most "fun" of the Baroque Cycle. I'm so addicted to this series, and they have taught me so many things about the history of that period...also made me a bit of an addict on the history of that time. I now have biographies on Newton, Hooke, Boyle, Leibniz, and Spinoza. Really want to find one on Wilkins but that's harder to find.

For Halloween last year, my wife and I went as Jack and Eliza.

You won't totally get the outfit til you get to the end of System of the World ;)