mattmatt3409's review
1.0
Wow. If I didn’t tell myself I was going to finish all my books in 2022 and not DNF any of them I would have put this monotonous book down. It is pretty much a factory tour of the different facilities that will help with climate change. It was dubbed a thriller and it was not thrilling at all. The most thrilling part was the plane crash and hunting pigs and that was in the first 75 pages. The only other part that got me interested was when Saskia went back to the Netherlands and some stuff happened (being vague because I do not want to spoil). The last 100 pages were more exciting than the muck I read for 500 pages previously but it wasn’t worth all that work.
This is my first Neal Stephenson novel, and I will try some more of his as one book does not ruin a great author. Seveneves was recommended to me and see comments on other reviews I think Cryptonomicon will be read as well.
This is my first Neal Stephenson novel, and I will try some more of his as one book does not ruin a great author. Seveneves was recommended to me and see comments on other reviews I think Cryptonomicon will be read as well.
syslog's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
helloandie's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly this probably isn't a fair rating, my expectations were extremely out of hand. :/
eluse9's review
3.0
He really took the long way to get there. So much of it is actually pointless and not that interesting.
sheldonsshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Gun violence, Racism, and Islamophobia
Minor: War and Pandemic/Epidemic
bookishactor's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“…there’s a man down in Houston who had the presence of mind, a few years ago, to put an axe in the world’s attic. We are here to find out whether the moment has arrived to pick it up.”
Termination Shock is the first book I’ve read by Neal Stephenson, but I don’t think it will be my last. This near-future climate-based sci-fi slow-burn thriller is filled with marvelous character development, an almost unbelievable amount of information and world building, and enough dystopia to keep the all-too-real threat of climate change ever at the forefront of the reader’s mind, without sounding preachy. While the pacing of this book was a bit slow…I won’t say glacial since those have mostly melted in the world of Termination Shock…I didn’t think Stephenson ever really let the book get bogged down in its gradual build. The ending…could have simply not been the ending, but also resonated with the profound sense of humanity that permeated so much of the novel. To me, this books ranks up there with The Martian, Hyperion, and Wanderers. Totally unique, but in the tradition of those other works as a hard sci-fi book with attention to detail and sophistication that is nothing less than a true literary achievement. One of my favorite books of the year so far. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Termination Shock is the first book I’ve read by Neal Stephenson, but I don’t think it will be my last. This near-future climate-based sci-fi slow-burn thriller is filled with marvelous character development, an almost unbelievable amount of information and world building, and enough dystopia to keep the all-too-real threat of climate change ever at the forefront of the reader’s mind, without sounding preachy. While the pacing of this book was a bit slow…I won’t say glacial since those have mostly melted in the world of Termination Shock…I didn’t think Stephenson ever really let the book get bogged down in its gradual build. The ending…could have simply not been the ending, but also resonated with the profound sense of humanity that permeated so much of the novel. To me, this books ranks up there with The Martian, Hyperion, and Wanderers. Totally unique, but in the tradition of those other works as a hard sci-fi book with attention to detail and sophistication that is nothing less than a true literary achievement. One of my favorite books of the year so far. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
weisquared2's review
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
classic neal stephenson. slow and thoroughly detailed. i liked my slowly dawning realisation on how the disparate storylines would eventually weave together.
cherit's review
4.0
Others have written far better reviews than I can, but the bottom line for me is, I liked the book. The middle is a bit of a slog, whereas the beginning and end are really good. This is not my favorite Neal Stephenson book (that would be Seveneves), but I'm glad I read it.