Neal Stephenson

[lud]

Hi,I'm not sure if this as been covered before (I'm new to this site) but are NEAL STEPHENSONS books any good.I'm tempted to read ANATHEM but some advise would be good before i buy.Thanks for any help.

 

[AE35Unit]

Hmmm I thought Stephenson was in the same tradition as Al Reynolds and Peter Hamilton,but he wrote that fantasy title?

 

[Connavar]

He isnt anything like Reynolds. He is vastly overrated,can barely write a decent prose.

 

[AE35Unit]

Thats quite a statement Conn. Have you read much of his?
(Mind you I feel the same about Shaun Hutson after reading one book)

 

[Hypnos164]

I have Anathem on the waiting to be read pile ... the size of it puts me off, combined with the fact that I find Stephenson a pretty frustrating writer.

He tends to write complex multi-view point books which are packed beyond capacity with ideas ... however they have an annoying tendacy to just come to a juddering halt rather than actually "end" with any feeling of closure.

I've always thought he clearly has a lot of talent and ideas but could probably have done with a very strong editor early in his career (its too late now he is a profitable "big name").

(Note that I still buy his books, even some in hard cover, so I don't dislike him - although i've never had a go at his baroque cycle thing... the idea just doesn't grab me).

 

[AE35Unit]

I have Anathem on the waiting to be read pile ... the size of it puts me off, combined with the fact that I find Stephenson a pretty frustrating writer.

He tends to write complex multi-view point books which are packed beyond capacity with ideas ... however they have an annoying tendacy to just come to a juddering halt rather than actually "end" with any feeling of closure.

I've always thought he clearly has a lot of talent and ideas but could probably have done with a very strong editor early in his career (its too late now he is a profitable "big name").

Anathem,the epic fantasy book? That got raves on sfsite.com,didn't it win an award? Must admit I find little appeal in it.

 

[Hypnos164]

Anathem is, i think, pretty hard-SF being heavily focused on the mathematics & physics of the "many worlds" of quatum mechanics. It is a hugo shortlist candidate for best novel this year,

Perhaps you are thinking of the Baroque-cycle (Quicksilver et. al) ... which is a sort of alt. history/secret history kind of thing?

Can't think of anything of his i'd directly call "fantasy"

 

[AE35Unit]

Anathem is, i think, pretty hard-SF being heavily focused on the mathematics & physics of the "many worlds" of quatum mechanics. It is a hugo shortlist candidate for best novel this year,

Perhaps you are thinking of the Baroque-cycle (Quicksilver et. al) ... which is a sort of alt. history/secret history kind of thing?

Can't think of anything of his i'd directly call "fantasy"

Well,it doesn't exactly sound like SF either. His other stuff is mostly cyberpunk(yawn) and this Anadoodaa sounds like he's jumping on the Da Vinci code bandwagon.

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

Anathem I have never read, but I did read Snow Crash and thought it was really good that was his first one.

 

[Tillane]

Have to admit, Stephenson is one of those writers I've never quite got to grips with. I really enjoyed the first three-quarters of Snow Crash, loved some of the characters, but felt it ended poorly. The Diamond Age seemed something about nothing, and Cryptonomicon frankly bored me to tears. Since then, I've avoided his stuff.

 

[kythe]

I think Snow Crash is one of the best sci-fi books I've ever read. Considering that though, it seems odd that I have never really been able to get through any of his other books.

 

[DeepThought]

I think Snow Crash is one of the best sci-fi books I've ever read...

Music to my ears. It's one of my all time favourite Cyberpunk/SF novels.

The "problem" with Cryptonomicon I think is that you have be somewhat mathematically inclined and tech savvy to fully enjoyed it IMHO. If you read it only for the story and characters alone (which is usually the case for a novel) you wont get much out of it, it is a odd novel in that sense, it demands a lot from the reader.

He isnt anything like Reynolds...

Neal Stephenson writes Cyberpunk. Comparing him to Alastair Reynolds is like comparing apples and oranges.

 

[GOLLUM]

HMMM.....interesting comments so far. I'm personally a big fan of Stephenson but then again I like maths, physics etc....and enjoy his work very much. I think it can be a disadvantage if you don't have an interest or background in the Sciences.

Big statement from Conn to say he can't write decent prose. His Baroque Cycle is a highlight in prose for me anyway.

The books are pretty complex in scope and I agree can be a bit of a slog to get through but for me well worth the effort as a bit like a Gene Wolfe novel it demands a fair bit from its reader. I also agree that he could have done with a better editor at times but the books I think still flow quite well.

I've got but am yet to read Anathem so difficult to say much on that one.

Cheers......

 

[lud]

Hi all,thanks for comments i know they dont read too good but what the hell he is a new author to me and i want a change so i will go ahead and read anathem.
I will let you know what i think of the book as soon as i finish.

 

[Xelebes]

I'm a big fan of Neal Stephenson but I'm having trouble reading Anathem. Anyone else find this?

The biggest problem, I find, is the use of a whole new vocabulary (fraa, suur, aut, Provencor, saunt, etc.) that I'm just not grabbing on to it as I did with his previous works. I don't know, just 20 pages in and I'm already taxed to the point of not completing it.

 

[Rodders]

I had the same trouble with Bank's "Feersum Enjinn" and the Phonetic speech. Greg Bear's "Slant" as well.

 

[elvet]

I have some questions about the Baroque Cycle. I'm looking at buying it and apparently the first book - Quicksilver is actually 3 separate books

• Book 1 - Quicksilver
• Book 2 - The King of the Vagabonds
• Book 3 - Odalisque

As far as I can tell, the 2nd and 3rd books - Confusion and The System of the World are also subdivided (according to Wiki), but each of their subdivisions are not sold separately. I just want to make sure that when I'm buying these, I have to get all 5 books.

 

[greyhorse]

I'm a big fan of Neal Stephenson but I'm having trouble reading Anathem. Anyone else find this?

The biggest problem, I find, is the use of a whole new vocabulary (fraa, suur, aut, Provencor, saunt, etc.) that I'm just not grabbing on to it as I did with his previous works. I don't know, just 20 pages in and I'm already taxed to the point of not completing it.

Just finished Anathem, and have to say the new vocabulary was one of the strengths of the book. I was kinda like going on an extended holiday to another country and learning part of the language. It takes time for the words to take on meaning, but once they have, you've sunk deaper into the culture. I think I had tears in my eyes when they evoked that last mass Voco.

I found Anathem to be one his most engaging books yet, with likeable characters and a good followable storyline. I think Stephenson succeeded in creating a believable alternate world since I miss Arbre, much like I miss Stockholm where I went for a vacation a couple of months ago.

 

[GOLLUM]

I have some questions about the Baroque Cycle. I'm looking at buying it and apparently the first book - Quicksilver is actually 3 separate books

• Book 1 - Quicksilver
• Book 2 - The King of the Vagabonds
• Book 3 - Odalisque

As far as I can tell, the 2nd and 3rd books - Confusion and The System of the World are also subdivided (according to Wiki), but each of their subdivisions are not sold separately. I just want to make sure that when I'm buying these, I have to get all 5 books.

HMM...that's seems a little weird on the surface of it.

The Baroque cycle when I bought it was just those 3 books Quicksilver, Confusion and System Of The World.

Those 3 books are listed as the 3 parts to my single volume of Quicksilver. You should still be able to get Quicksilver in a single edn!! Plenty of copies still on the shelves in Australia, so why not elsewhere?

Seems silly to purchase 5 items when you should only be getting 3.

I went to Wikipedia and they have the entry as a single volume.. Not sure which site you are referencing? Definitely should try to get as a single volume along with the other 2 books in the trilogy.

 

[elvet]

Thanks, Gollum. I already went ahead and bout the 3 separate books. At least they will be lighter on the grip when I read them in bed.