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The Day the Moon Blew Up

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Re: The Day the Moon Blew Up

#81

Post by yoodenvranx »

bryant wrote: post #4

Seveneves is one of my favorites, even though it gets mixed reactions from a lot of others who've read titles like Anathem. I can't compare it to Anathem (the only other Stephenson book I've read so far is Cryptonomicon; looking to change that), but I can say I love the technical depth. Perhaps it's because it helps me suspend disbelief much more easily, though Bill's point that "if you’re the sort of reader who does…

> The only thing that somewhat frustrated me about it, as I suspect is the case for most people, is the fact that the last third of the book feels like it could (should?) stand on its own

For me that last third part feels... rushed? I can not really explain it but the first two thirds of the book were awesome and then when you reach the last part you feel like Stephenson had to meed a deadline for printing and that part is just tacked onto the main story. It is way too short for its content, I feel like Stephenson could spend a good two or three books exploring this new story arc.

Re: The Day the Moon Blew Up

#82

Post by TeMPOraL »

Seveneves is one of the best sci-fi books I've ever read. It was a hard emotional ride.

(small spoiler follows)

One of the interesting gems I remember: the surviving humans looked back at the recordings of their ancestors, in particular about how their behaviour was affected by social networks - and collectively decided not to pursue that aspect of the Internet.

(This may actually be a plausible in-universe answer for why there's no Facebook in Star Trek.)

Re: The Day the Moon Blew Up

#83

Post by ctvo »

I enjoyed Seveneves. I'd recommend Luna: New Moon by Ian McDonald as another recent moon-based book that's enjoyable sci-if. Mega corporations rule the moon and the government largely ignores what they do as long as raw materials are still delivered to Earth.

Re: The Day the Moon Blew Up

#84

Post by Symmetry »

dbcooper wrote: post #2

>Seveneves belongs in the subgenre of hard science fiction, which means it emphasizes scientific accuracy. Everything adheres to physical laws, so unlike Star Wars, no one travels anywhere near the speed of light. A pity then that a little basic chemistry eluded both the writer and the critic - there's no carbon on the moon. Rather difficult to support humans, and carry out feats of biotechnology, without it...

I think we're supposed to assume they went out and got more carbon somehow. It would have made more sense if they'd carried the comet parts into the cleft but I'm willing to forgive it. Of course the physics of the moon blowing up are totally wrong but I'm willing to swallow a single impossible thing and keep going.

http://hopefullyintersting.blogspot.com/2015/06/seveneves-an...

Re: The Day the Moon Blew Up

#85

Post by chiph »

yoodenvranx wrote: post #81
bryant wrote: post #4

Seveneves is one of my favorites, even though it gets mixed reactions from a lot of others who've read titles like Anathem. I can't compare it to Anathem (the only other Stephenson book I've read so far is Cryptonomicon; looking to change that), but I can say I love the technical depth. Perhaps it's because it helps me suspend disbelief much more easily, though Bill's point that "if you’re the sort of reader who does…

> The only thing that somewhat frustrated me about it, as I suspect is the case for most people, is the fact that the last third of the book feels like it could (should?) stand on its own For me that last third part feels... rushed? I can not really explain it but the first two thirds of the book were awesome and then when you reach the last part you feel like Stephenson had to meed a deadline for printing and that p…

Stephenson tends to rush his endings - Cryptonomicon basically wrapped up in about 30 pages. But what got me was the abrupt change in view on that last third of Seveneves. I needed more transition time, as he's introducing a whole new society.

Re: The Day the Moon Blew Up

#86

Post by perseusprime11 »

chiph wrote: post #85
yoodenvranx wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The only thing that somewhat frustrated me about it, as I suspect is the case for most people, is the fact that the last third of the book feels like it could (should?) stand on its own For me that last third part feels... rushed? I can not really explain it but the first two thirds of the book were awesome and then when you reach the last part you feel like Stephenson had to meed a deadline for printing and that p…

Stephenson tends to rush his endings - Cryptonomicon basically wrapped up in about 30 pages. But what got me was the abrupt change in view on that last third of Seveneves. I needed more transition time, as he's introducing a whole new society.

Isn't it the case for most notable scifi books? Enders game wrapped up pretty quickly in the final few pages.

Re: The Day the Moon Blew Up

#87

Post by dboshardy »

GantzGraf wrote: post #59

Was anybody else turned off by the author's approach to characterisation in this book? I feel like he's over-explaining their reasoning/motivation for doing the things they do to the point where it's irritating. It's like he's trying to tell you everything about a character in the shortest time possible. No subtlety. Am I overreacting? I'm still within the first third but I don't think I'll be able to get through the…

No, you're not. Stephenson is bad at character writing and development.

His books just feel like ways for him to mentally masturbate onto the reader. I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, once I slog through the first quarter of the book, I can't bring myself to stop reading. But at the same time I can't help but be frustrated by his "look how smart I am and all the things I know" writing.

Re: The Day the Moon Blew Up

#89

Post by e12e »

bryant wrote: post #4

Seveneves is one of my favorites, even though it gets mixed reactions from a lot of others who've read titles like Anathem. I can't compare it to Anathem (the only other Stephenson book I've read so far is Cryptonomicon; looking to change that), but I can say I love the technical depth. Perhaps it's because it helps me suspend disbelief much more easily, though Bill's point that "if you’re the sort of reader who does…

> the only other Stephenson book I've read so far is Cryptonomicon

Absolutely recommend "Diamond Age" and to a lesser extent (but more fun) "Snowcrash". I started "Cryptonomicon" right after reading Singh's "The Code Book", and it just felt like Stephenson did a sub-par job with the subject material (perhaps especially because "The Code Book" isn't fiction, but almost reads like it).

Did start "Seveneves" when there was a free teaser out, but haven't gotten around to it yet -- it's on my list. I'm hoping it's a bit tighter than most of the stuff since "Diamond Age".

Re: The Day the Moon Blew Up

#90

Post by e12e »

ef4 wrote: post #17

The first third of Seveneves is a real gut punch. The only other world-ending story that comes close in terms of emotional impact for me was Arthur C. Clarke's "Childhood's End". Stephenson manages to show humanity in all its realistic messiness but still leave you proud -- on balance -- that humans mostly get our act together in a desperate attempt to preserve a seed of life and culture.

I've yet to read "Seveneves", but I felt the prologue to Alastair Reynolds' "Blue Remembered Earth" was very moving too. It involves our protagonists coming across a left-over AI tank, long buried. A sort of futuristic take on land-mines disguised as toys.

There's also some rather nightmarish scenarios in Richard Morgan's series about Takeshi Kovacs (I enjoyed beginning in the middle, with "Woken Furies") involving weaponized nano technology.

Neither are world-ending, but touches IMHO on some of the same things.

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