"Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson

[bleachededen]

An obvious must read by technophiles and linguists alike.

Let's discuss.

[nova]

One of my favorite books. I have read it twice. It had a big impact on me. I tried designing virtual homes. That didn't go far. It did move me into designing websites which was fun for awhile. It also changed my perception of where the world was going.

Daemon is a book much like this and is far more current.

[bleachededen]

I wasn't so much worried about its currentness or even the "way the world was headed" aspect. The winning part of this book, for me, was the linguistic aspect, the fact that it went more in-depth with the Chomskyan idea that our brains could be "hardwired" and predisposed to accept language, and that there is a base language that operates like a virus and can override all the "software" languages we have consciously built up. This was made even more solid and possible with the computer comparison, and the idea that a certain amount of code could not only shut down the computer, but also the human being attached to it.* I also loved the connection to Babel, and the way Stephenson connected ancient stories with modern culture. I was actually surprised at how much I liked it, because I hadn't expected that linguistic/historical aspect that made it so much more exciting for me.

*That idea, in a way, can also be seen in the movie Surrogates, although it isn't as multi-layered or as fleshed out as in Snow Crash. But it was fun to make the connection.

[Kevin]

I read it years ago, and beyond recalling that I enjoyed it, and how it seemed a reasonably likely future (cyperpunk predictions in general seem on the mark to me) don't remember much about it. Oh yes, YT...

I've had Cryptonomicon weighing down my shelves for a long time now... one of these days, maybe.

[bleachededen]

I've had Cryptonomicon weighing down my shelves for a long time now... one of these days, maybe.

I just bought it recently, and I feel the same way. Its size is quite daunting, but I know, given his writing style, it won't feel as scary as it seems once I start reading it.

[nova]

Cryptonomicon was good but I thought somewhat uneven of a read.

I used to read a lot of SciFi but not so much anymore. Especially books I need to learn a new vocabulary for

[Kevin]

I can't mention much of the specifics of the book, since I don't recall them. There is however one aspect that has stayed with me and that is the near-future predictions of the everyday world. Ursula K LeGuin said in a forward to a book that science fiction is about taking current trends and describing where they might lead. OK she said something to that effect anyway... and I find Stephenson's Deliverator a pretty good prediction of the future corporate warrior:

The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed subcategory. He's got esprit up to here. Right now, he is preparing to carry out his third mission of the night. His uniform is black as activated charcoal, filtering the very light out of the air. A bullet will bounce off its arachnofiber weave like a wren hitting a patio door, but excess perspiration wafts through it like a breeze through a freshly napalmed forest. Where his body has bony extremities, the suit has sintered armorgel: feels like gritty jello, protects like a stack of telephone books.
When they gave him the job, they gave him a gun.[...] The Deliverator stands tall, your pie in thirty minutes or you can have it free, shoot the driver, take his car, file a class-action suit.

Cyberpunk in general seems on the mark to me. And with just a little stretch Philip K Dick can be included in this category as well.

I'm thinking now back to the linguistic aspect of the book. Is this the part where it deals with Egypt? Probably it is... that's actually where I considered the book to lose some of its interest. Of course, YMMV - and apparently, did.

The Diamond Age is another good Stephenson book.

Has anyone read The Baroque Cycle? I have the first two books of it but haven;t yet looked at them. My first impression was to wonder if they are gimmicky - something I generally suspect series to be.

[bleachededen]

I'm thinking now back to the linguistic aspect of the book. Is this the part where it deals with Egypt? Probably it is... that's actually where I considered the book to lose some of its interest. Of course, YMMV - and apparently, did.

Ancient Sumeria, actually, where civilization supposedly began (Mesopotamia, in what is now Iraq). Sumerian is no longer spoken, but there are certain relics written in Sumerian that, in Stephenson's novel, acted as the basis for the virus that is used to control people and kill hackers. Like I said, that part of the story fit a particular niche I happen to a part of -- archaeological anthropological linguistics + computer hackers/cyberpunk -- it was like all of my favorite things delicately woven into one amazing book. That part of it isn't for everyone, but it certainly fit the bill for me.

One other thing -- not sure what YMMV is? Can't even begin to figure that one out. It's probably something obvious and I'll feel really stupid once it's explained.

[Kevin]

Your Mileage May Vary!

[bleachededen]

Interesting...still not sure I get its meaning.