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New Neal Stephenson Book Out - Anathem

nealstephenson.com

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Re: New Neal Stephenson Book Out - Anathem

#11

Post by Prrometheus »

quasimojo wrote: post #6

painful. put it down at page 100. already recycled. oh i know what you are thinking, i must be some sort of caveman who prefers michael crichton. nonsense. when i read fiction , i want to have some fun. this book just isn't fun. stephenson knows how to write fun books. snow crash was a literal page turner...why do you stay up all night turning pages? because the book is fun.

The lady at the book store said it was great but hard to get into.

You do know that Stephenson's latest works have been nothing like "Snowcrash" or "The Diamond Age", right?

Re: New Neal Stephenson Book Out - Anathem

#12

Post by Angostura »

sh wrote: post #4

If you can tolerate all the Stephensonian camp, you might enjoy this book. The ending is my favorite Stephenson ending. For extra credit, find the error in his astronomy.

"The ending is my favorite Stephenson ending."

... you mean, he's included one this time?

Re: New Neal Stephenson Book Out - Anathem

#13

Post by hugh »

Angostura wrote: post #12
sh wrote: post #4

If you can tolerate all the Stephensonian camp, you might enjoy this book. The ending is my favorite Stephenson ending. For extra credit, find the error in his astronomy.

"The ending is my favorite Stephenson ending." ... you mean, he's included one this time?

The final chapter almost seemed to me like he was writing under duress.

Without wanting to spoil anything, it pretty much goes "Fine, you want an ending you bastards? Here's your fucking ending, they all fucking lived happily ever after. Happy now?"

Re: New Neal Stephenson Book Out - Anathem

#14

Post by hugh »

quasimojo wrote: post #6

painful. put it down at page 100. already recycled. oh i know what you are thinking, i must be some sort of caveman who prefers michael crichton. nonsense. when i read fiction , i want to have some fun. this book just isn't fun. stephenson knows how to write fun books. snow crash was a literal page turner...why do you stay up all night turning pages? because the book is fun.

snow crash was a literal page turner

A literal page turner, as in you literally turned the pages?

Seriously though, as I recall an awful lot of Snow Crash's exposition came from a series of interminable dialogues between Hiro and his AI librarian.

Re: New Neal Stephenson Book Out - Anathem

#16

Post by omouse »

agl wrote: post #9
quasimojo wrote: post #6

painful. put it down at page 100. already recycled. oh i know what you are thinking, i must be some sort of caveman who prefers michael crichton. nonsense. when i read fiction , i want to have some fun. this book just isn't fun. stephenson knows how to write fun books. snow crash was a literal page turner...why do you stay up all night turning pages? because the book is fun.

I'm only half way in at the moment, but I must reply and say that I think this book is excellent. It may have helped that I did the first couple of hundred pages on a flight so was a captive audience (well, unless I wanted to watch "Son of Rambo"), but I don't remember feeling that it was a slog.

Son of Rambow is a good movie. Really really good. A feel-good movie if you will. I can't believe you didn't want to watch it!

Re: New Neal Stephenson Book Out - Anathem

#20

Post by wlievens »

byrneseyeview wrote: post #19
wastedbrains wrote: post #17

I am curious what do people think is Stephenson's best book?

Cryptonomicon . People will read it to understand the 1940's and the 1990's.

I read it just a few months ago; I consider it one of the best books I ever read. It felt like the confirmation of my geek identity or something like that. Awesome.
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