Any anybody else into this dude? I love Cryptonomicon, also really liked Snow Crash & The Diamond Age, and his Linux essay "In The Beginning Was The Command Line". His new epic novel Quicksilver comes out today, a 900+ slab of historical fiction that serves both as a prequel to Cryptonomicon & as the first book in a trilogy, with the sequels to be released at six month intervals.

I think he rules. Tons of bizarre esoteric tekkie nerdy information, well-drawn characters, great sense of humor. His plotting is a bit lopsided, but I have so much fun following his tangents that generally it doesn't bother me too much. Gibson is a much more controlled writer, but I like how Stephenson gets chatty and will go on for pages without bothering to advance his plot. Totally different styles, love 'em both.

I like his books as well; too bad he doesn't get down with his pe'p's like some others. I just finished Crypt' about a month and a half ago; I think I'll hold out for a bit...

Stephenson needs to learn how to end his books -- it's like he loses interest in the last 50 pages. He could use some of Gibson's control. Or J.G. Ballard, for that matter.

The endings in his early books suck, yeah, but the Cryptonomicon ending was just perfect IMO. It was abrupt, sure, but sometimes leaving things to the imagination is for the best.

Well, my whole thing about Stevenson is that his endings aren't horrible, I think the climaxes are great, but sometimes, a little comedown is a good thing. I jsut finished reading "The Big U", and it was worse than the other things of his I have read as far as endings go.

I dunno, maybe it's just me, but I like to crest a hill, not hit a brick wall.

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"It is a good viewpoint to see the world as a dream. When you have something like a nightmare, upon waking, you will tell yourself that it is only a dream. It is said the world we live in is not a bit different than this." - Yamamoto Tsunemoto

I haven't read much of him, but I enjoyed Snow Crash (and tend to agree with the general criticism of the ending). On the other hand, "In the Beginning Was the Command Line" makes me want to build an altar to him and worship him like a little geeky god. Totally changed my thinking about Apple's "pirateness."

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F:.R:.

I almost felt like Crypto didn't have an ending, really. It just kind of petered-out. Don't get me wrong, it really didn't bother me that much, because getting there was so damn enjoyable.

Just heard that "The Confusion: Volume Two of the Baroque Cycle" ("Quicksilver" being volume one) will be released in April 2004. 814 pages long. Excellent news. Now all we need is for Gibson to release something new.

Yeah, "Command Line" made me want to convert to Linux, immediately. A comp sci grad student friend of mine will be introducing me to Linux this weekend. How nerdy is that?

I have only read 'Snow Crash' and 'Diamond Age'. I enjoyed them both a great deal, but I agree with the criticisms about his endings. This was especially true with 'Diamond Age', which is a shame because the book was very close to being something truly great and groundbreaking. I have read it three times, and many parts of the book, and aspects of the story, are still brilliant. It came close to 'Dune' for me in terms of leaving images in my mind for months after I first read it. But it does seem that about three quaters of the way through he lost interest. The character of Nell, who promised so much, ended up working in a BDSM whorehouse, which seemed like a real let down after evrything she had been through and learnt.

I love NS's work and I even like his manner of ending his books. A nice neat tying up of all loose ends has never appealed to me. Life is messy, so I like my fiction messy as well.

Hence my love of NS, who is as messy as you can get without just getting too loopy to enjoy (Rucker, anyone?).

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You can hang the blame on a wall, it'll be a frame around us all -- Jay Farrar, FALL DOWN EASY

I totally agree with JkFlesh. Crypt' just sort of peters out. Like those tunes that just fade into nothing. It wasn't at all unpleasant. And it IS a great book. All that titanomachia talking was just superb.

well, that's about as much stephenson as I have read.

btw, I don't think Gibson would help very much with the endings. In fact, IMHO that's actually his weakest point.

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Quiero hacer contigo
lo que la primavera hace con los cerezos.

Estërion, La Rata Feliz.

I'm not sure I'd single Stephenson out for weak endings. In my experience, or at least, from my perspective, science fiction in general tends to go for endings that are suggestive, and don't spell out the implications of the subjects they raise.

Some people just love that about SF in general, and books like Stephenson's in particular, because it leaves so much to the freedom of the reader. Others would have preferred to get a little more from the author about the implications. Not sure there is a solution there, so much a matter of taste.

Gibson's plots never struck me as all that engaging, but I don't think that's where he puts his effort anyway. But I see the plots of Gibson's books as the trellis upon which the beautiful and thoughtful prose blossoms, so I have no objection.

Bellham

With Diamond Age the issue for me was not that it was left open ended or not tied up neatly, in fact it was. It was that one of the main characters, Nell, did not seem to do anything with the immense learning and training she had recieved from the Primer. She was an amazing individual as a child and young teen, but by the end all that she had learnt and prepared for just did not seem to amount to anything.

But still, its a damn good read and it rates as one of my top ten sci fi books.

I will say too that often with truly good sci-fi like Gibson and Steaphenson, its not the plot that sticks in my mind, but the imagery. Gibsons vivid desriptions of the Sprawl and Steaphensons descriptions of a world immersed in nanotech in Diamond Age are what keep drawing me back to re-read them.

Salon's review is here: Quicksilver

I'm a big Stephenson fan and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the new book.

Stephenson will be doing a signing of Quicksilver at London Forbidden Planet on October 21st at 1pm.

Bravus, could you cut & paste the review? You have to subscribe to Salon.com to read the whole thing.

With books such as this, that I know that I will buy no matter what, I usually prefer to skip the reviews and the commentaries. So as soon as someone says: "I have read it, and..." I am off this thread. Of course, I expect to have my own copy by October the 4th (currently on transit over the Atlantic), so I doubt many people will have read this monster by then.

Reviews sometimes become synopsis and can colour your initial perception. It can really spoil the mood and the initial feeling of discovery.

For second or third readings, you can see the points of others, get a different angle, and usually extract something new of the book. In additional readings is when you discover the failings of a favourite book or the hidden virtues of a disappointment. Or you may have to change and experience yourself a bit before some aspect of the text gets a meaning.

Now, I am waiting with trepidation Quicksilver. Not only we get a big book now, there is a new one in six months. Stephenson has been a bit too US centered in other books, but with this subject it is difficult to do so. The big question however is if I should reread Cryptonomicon before or after reading Quicksilver

José

I agree, I never read reviews of films or books in-depth before I watch the movie or read the book. I only use reviews to determine if I want to see if I am interested in the movie or book. I'm curious as to the critical tenor regarding Stephenson's work. He's too popular to be a critic's darling, but erudite enough that some critics should say something positive things about his work.

As for re-reading Cryptonomicon, I think that should without a doubt wait until you're done with Quicksilver. That's what I'm gonna do.

Had Snow Crash on shelf for a few years now. My ex-ex-ex-ex girlfriend got it for my when she told the guy at the bookstore that I read Gibson. Didn't get around reading it yet! Guess I have to, after what I've read here.

Philip K. Dick is dead, alas!