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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
Not totally satisfying at the end. But very engaging. The big ideas about memetics were not satisfyingly played out I think
Wow. From the comments here and from friends, this book is one that you either really love or just can't get through. For me, I love it. It's one ginormous hot mess of geek & awesome ideas. It's chaotic and chock full of really cool bits like virtual reality, ancient religions & languages. Don't go into this book expecting clear & concise plots. :)
3.5 stars. Would have been an amazing read when published in 1993. Stephenson"s prescience about technology now seems obvious, which surely it was not. Still, a good read.
Wow. That was quite a ride.
Hiro Protagonist. Definitely the best name ever for this type of story.
My head was spinning a bit on all the Sumerian deity details - and I would be lying if I said I would go research their validity, because I just couldn’t care about any of that.
YT - wasn’t she 15? Or did several years happen and she got older. Even still, her mental maturity (pertaining to the politics of all the relationships) seemed greater than 15 or even 17. Snarkiness - totally on point. Granted, she was badass, and I liked that.
Hiro Protagonist. Definitely the best name ever for this type of story.
My head was spinning a bit on all the Sumerian deity details - and I would be lying if I said I would go research their validity, because I just couldn’t care about any of that.
YT - wasn’t she 15? Or did several years happen and she got older. Even still, her mental maturity (pertaining to the politics of all the relationships) seemed greater than 15 or even 17. Snarkiness - totally on point. Granted, she was badass, and I liked that.
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A really interesting read. It gets bogged down at times with heavy lore-dumps, but there’s something about the world this book constructs that I can’t stop thinking about. As dystopian and weird as it is, I think I’m going to miss it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
It's fun, it's stylish, and it's been an inspiration to generations of techies and creatives. I can see why it's so highly recommended, and I can see how it could be amazing. But for me, it just fails in some really important ways.
For example, I did enjoy the world building as it had a lot of interesting ideas and when you consider that it came out in 1992, well, damn, you have to take your hat off to Neal. But as soon as the main plot kicks in, the world building is kind of pushed to the side and a not so fun plot is drags on. There were some good ideas, but it all felt like it wasn't connected, with some ideas being dropped and others being forgotten.
Then there are the characters, all of whom start off really well with interesting/unique backgrounds, but as the book goes on they never really develop or grow. In the end we're left with a really nice set of D&D character sheets, basically paper thin characters. I guess it depends on how/when you read it, because for example Hiro Protagonist (clever name!) is literally every 13 year old boy's dream, this cool super master hacker who is also a master swordsman, women love him and he gets the girl at the end (the girl that also had practically no development and exists almost exclusively for Hiro). Hiro never grows, is never really challenged, never has to do anything other than his usual badassery. Basically, Hiro is your typical 80's action movie star, he's a badass because he is and that's it, deal with it.
All in all, though, it's still an interesting read, and still has great ideas about the metaverse today (maybe someone should give a copy to Zuck?), but I feel like if I'd read it when I was younger, when I was less of a cynical grumpy old man, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.
For example, I did enjoy the world building as it had a lot of interesting ideas and when you consider that it came out in 1992, well, damn, you have to take your hat off to Neal. But as soon as the main plot kicks in, the world building is kind of pushed to the side and a not so fun plot is drags on. There were some good ideas, but it all felt like it wasn't connected, with some ideas being dropped and others being forgotten.
Then there are the characters, all of whom start off really well with interesting/unique backgrounds, but as the book goes on they never really develop or grow. In the end we're left with a really nice set of D&D character sheets, basically paper thin characters. I guess it depends on how/when you read it, because for example Hiro Protagonist (clever name!) is literally every 13 year old boy's dream, this cool super master hacker who is also a master swordsman, women love him and he gets the girl at the end (the girl that also had practically no development and exists almost exclusively for Hiro). Hiro never grows, is never really challenged, never has to do anything other than his usual badassery. Basically, Hiro is your typical 80's action movie star, he's a badass because he is and that's it, deal with it.
All in all, though, it's still an interesting read, and still has great ideas about the metaverse today (maybe someone should give a copy to Zuck?), but I feel like if I'd read it when I was younger, when I was less of a cynical grumpy old man, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
Excellent cyberpunk thriller. In the vein of Neuromancer by William Gibson. Exciting, humorous at times, imaginative. If you're a fan of Stephenson, you'll recognize the same central character. Not in name, but in the way he completely misunderstands women. If you haven't read it yet and you enjoy science fiction/cyberpunk, read it immediately.
challenging
slow-paced
I must confess that I was really close to DNF this book. Being an immigrant with a mother tongue other than english , the story was really hard for me to follow .
On a trip to Quebec City by train , I pushed through this book for 7 hours in a day till things finally got shape in the story and I could figure something out .
Many people overlook fantasy and sci-fi for the reason that they are not worth anything . This book is the perfect example that they are actually really valuable . The idea that “ language and religion are tools for conquering nations “ is true and depicted really well in this story.
P.S: descriptions of meta verse reminded me of the trailer for the Matrix 4 where Neo walks in a street made of binary code .
On a trip to Quebec City by train , I pushed through this book for 7 hours in a day till things finally got shape in the story and I could figure something out .
Many people overlook fantasy and sci-fi for the reason that they are not worth anything . This book is the perfect example that they are actually really valuable . The idea that “ language and religion are tools for conquering nations “ is true and depicted really well in this story.
P.S: descriptions of meta verse reminded me of the trailer for the Matrix 4 where Neo walks in a street made of binary code .