The ideas in that book, and in most good science fiction, are what set it apart. Like many of stephensons other novels, it covers history, linguistics, anthropology, archaeology, religion, computer science, politics, cryptography, memetics and philosophy. Its not like snow crash in that it doesnt take place in the future, but it is like snow crash in that it has fabulous twists and turns and delightful building of tension. Neal stephenson is such a writer and snow crash is such a novel, weaving virtual reality, sumerian myth, and just about everything in between with a cool, hip cybersensibility to bring us. Inside, he sees that the us government had been working on a programming project for rife. Snow crash is a science fiction novel by american writer neal stephenson, published in 1992.
Whereas gibson writes for a general public fascinated by technology, stephenson is a secondgeneration cyberpunk writer insofar as his effort on snow crash goes. In twentyfirstcentury america, a teenaged computer hacker finds himself fighting a computer virus that battles virtual reality technology and a deadly drug that turns humans into zombies. After snow crashs cyberpunk, its cypherpunk, reports jim mcclellan. It is a world where the mafia controls pizza delivery, the united states exists as a patchwork of corporatefranchise citystates, and the internetincarnate as the metaverselooks something like last years hype would lead you to believe it should. From the opening line of his breakthrough cyberpunk novel snow crash, neal stephenson plunges the reader into a nottoodistant future. Neal stephenson is the author of the threevolume historical epic the baroque cycle quicksilver, the confusion and the system of the world as well as the novels cryptonomicon, the diamond age winner of a hugo award, snow crash, zodiac, anathem and reamde.
Jan 17, 2017 snow crash is not the kind of book written for people looking for a quick escape into an alternate world. What do you think about the possibility of a snow crash tv adaptation. I regard snow crash and other books like it as unintentional alternate history pieces. Oct 02, 2017 amazon announces it will create the next game of thrones by producing a tv show based on neal stephensons snow crash. A hbo series based on snow crash, the 1992 science fiction novel which coined the term metaverse, is currently in production. On a personal level, we see characters that do not play by the rules, do not play well with others, and generally avoid anything resembling order. What are the things about snow crash that interest you. Just think of snow crash as taking place in an alternate universe, rather than the future. Stephenson may be the most intelligent writer who has ever lived, and snow crash is certainly one of the best books ever written. Grabs you quickly, thrusts you head long into world thats so preposterous that he cant possibly. Find books like snow crash from the worlds largest community of readers. Stephensons snow crash, originally published in 1992 by bantam books, is dystopian in nature, and like many of his other novels, covers history, linguistics, anthropology. Will hbo max finally be able to deliver the delicious, steamin series that nobody else could, or is the project going to. As boing boing puts it, penguin books has launched an ingame publishing venture in the online world second life, leading with neal stephensons seminal snow crash naturally, since snow crash s metaverse inspired second life.
The first half of the book is an introduction of the characters and the discovery of a technological and biological virus named snow crash, which a person can get through blood, exposure, or by looking at diseased data in the metaverse, a kind of populated, malllike cyberspace. But no, he does a stuka into the far wall of the pool, it sounds more like an explosion than a crash. Snow crash project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Math isnt my strong point but basically, snow crash takes place in the 2000s or 2010s. Neal stephensons message in code technology the guardian. Michael bacall adapting scifi drama snow crash for hbo max. Stephenson gives the reader as much to think about as do the authors of recent nonfiction books like blink, the wisdom of crowds, etc. Like many of stephensons other novels it covers history, linguistics, anthropology, archaeology, religion, computer science, politics, cryptography, memetics and philosophy. Stephensons snow crash is like a guy on speed and ayahuasca who grabs. Only once in a great while does a writer come along who defies comparison a writer so original he redefines the way we look at the world. The us edition of cryptonomicon avon books is available from net bookshops. If you enjoy studying influence and persuasion while reading. Its fine to not enjoy reading a book, but maybe you need a little perspective here.
Snow crash is neal stephensons third novel, published in 1992. Only once in a great while does a writer come along who defies comparisona writer so original, he redefines the way we look at the world. In a fiction imitates fiction, the metaverse comes to life in second life. Snow crash book the seattle public library bibliocommons. Snow crash is a mindaltering romp through a future america so bizarre, so outrageous. It is an older recording, so it is not up to par with current releases. Jul 17, 2014 that depends on what you think snow crash is like. Neal stephenson is such a writer and snow crash is such a novel, weaving virtual reality, sumerian myth, and just about everything in between with a cool, hip cybersensibility to bring us the. May 29, 2018 snow crash by neal stephenson 1992 in snow crash, neal stephenson imagines technology pushing us forward as a function of excavating the past, wherein keys to reshaping the future lay buried at. If you like fiction with complicated characters, antiheros, and sword fights, youll like snow crash. Nothing says love like the destruction of company property. Despite being written in 1992, there is still a lot in that book that resonates with today and makes it feel like the society stephenson imagined could still be. As boing boing puts it, penguin books has launched an ingame publishing venture in the online world second life, leading with neal stephensons seminal snow crash naturally, since snow crashs metaverse inspired second life.
Snow crash novel that coined the term metaverse to get hbo. Jan 14, 2017 neal stephenson is such a writer and snow crash is such a novel, weaving virtual reality, sumerian myth, and just about everything in between with a cool, hip cybersensibility to bring us the. One of scifi author neal stephensons most heralded works, snow crash, is headed to the small screen, courtesy of hbo max. At least not if youre me and prefer to read lighter books that may or may not influence part of your. Dec 16, 2019 a hbo series based on snow crash, the 1992 science fiction novel which coined the term metaverse, is currently in production. Snow crash by neal stephenson, first edition abebooks.
Fifteen years since its initial release, snow crash remains one of the most popular and important novels in recent memory. Snow crash was in my library for a few months before i got around to listening. Aside from the entertaining writing, snow crash is packed full of ideas. Snow crash is not the kind of book written for people looking for a quick escape into an alternate world. The issue was not necessarily with the narrator but the quality in general. The book was written in the 1990s, when 2000 was still the future. Looking for anything similar to snow crash i love neal stephensons work, i have read seveneves and just recently finished snow crash. Understandably, although it is an ambitious, intelligent, and entertaining novel, snow crash couldnt possibly live up to my expectations. Funny then to later discover that the novel was written after a comic book attempt at the same story fell apart. Neal stephenson is such a writer and snow crash is such a novel, weaving virtual reality, sumerian myth, and just about everything in between with a cool, hip cybersensibility to bring us the gigantic thriller of the information age. The first half of the book is an introduction of the characters and the discovery of a technological and biological virus named snow crash, which a person can get through blood, exposure, or by looking at diseased data in the metaverse, a kind of populated, mall like cyberspace. Neal stephenson is such a writer and snow crash is such a novel, weaving virtual reality, sumerian myth, and just about everything in between with a cool, hip cybersensibility to bring us the gigathriller of the information age.
Snow crash gives us a glimpse into an alternate america where the right to personal freedom overrides law. Top 10 plane crash books best book recommendations, best. I love pretty much anything scifi or cyberpunk, and i wouldnt mind a series to get into. Hiro realizes that this is a snow crash bomb, and raven is planning to nuke the hackers in. Buy snow crash by neal stephenson online at alibris. The last half is a mad, actionfilled rush to the conclusion. Snow crash by neal stephenson 1992 in snow crash, neal stephenson imagines technology pushing us forward as a function of excavating.
Hiro sees raven there, picking up a blue shape representing a software bomb. Amazon announces it will create the next game of thrones by producing a tv show based on neal stephensons snow crash. It reached the point where snow crash had to be one of the very best books i had ever read, if not the very best, if it had any chance of meeting those lofty expectations. But theres a generation gap between the two, and thats why i love snow crash and am lukewarm to anything gibson wrote beyond neuromancer.
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