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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
the 16 year old me will always love this book
the 16+ year old me will always think the 16 year old was right
the 16+ year old me will always think the 16 year old was right
Il problema del cyberpunk è che invecchia male: la maggior parte delle mirabolanti tecnologie descritte in un romanzo di 30 anni fa ora sembrano ingenue trovate da ragazzini.
Però alcuni romanzi mantengono comunque la loro forza espressiva e il significato profondo, e Snow Crash è uno di questi.
Descrive lo sfacelo del mondo con lucida vividezza, forse con me o stile di Gibson, ma con un maggiore acume politico e sicuramente con più cognizione di causa a proposito di computer e tecnologia.
Mischia mitologia sumera, religione e virus, decadenza e vecchi valori, e costruisce una storia appassionante, ricca di spunti di riflessione e, nonostante tutto, moderna.
"Abbiamo enormi quantità di forza lavoro illetterata o aletterata che si basa sulla TV - che è una sorta di tradizione orale. E abbiamo una ristretta élite di persone estremamente colte [...] che capisce che l'informazione è potere e che controlla la società perché possiede questa capacità semimistica di parlare le magiche lingue dei computer."
Era il 1992, i Social Network non esistevano e la TV controllava l'informazione, ma queste parole suonano profetiche in modo inquietante.
Però alcuni romanzi mantengono comunque la loro forza espressiva e il significato profondo, e Snow Crash è uno di questi.
Descrive lo sfacelo del mondo con lucida vividezza, forse con me o stile di Gibson, ma con un maggiore acume politico e sicuramente con più cognizione di causa a proposito di computer e tecnologia.
Mischia mitologia sumera, religione e virus, decadenza e vecchi valori, e costruisce una storia appassionante, ricca di spunti di riflessione e, nonostante tutto, moderna.
"Abbiamo enormi quantità di forza lavoro illetterata o aletterata che si basa sulla TV - che è una sorta di tradizione orale. E abbiamo una ristretta élite di persone estremamente colte [...] che capisce che l'informazione è potere e che controlla la società perché possiede questa capacità semimistica di parlare le magiche lingue dei computer."
Era il 1992, i Social Network non esistevano e la TV controllava l'informazione, ma queste parole suonano profetiche in modo inquietante.
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've heard many people recommend this for anyone interested in cyberpunk. And it is - I'm not going to dispute that. But the setting mostly reminded me of Idiocracy with how crazy post-capitalist US became.
Additionally, maybe this was the author's intention, but I had a very difficult time taking the story seriously due to the protagonists' names.
Admittedly, I mostly kept reading due to the weirdness of the setting and my curiosity on where he was going with the plot, which didn't really start getting established until about 3/4 of the way through with some massive expo-dumping. I did appreciate some of the tangents the author went on explaining the nature of the world he created, though. It made it feel more realistic.
Additionally, maybe this was the author's intention, but I had a very difficult time taking the story seriously due to the protagonists' names.
Admittedly, I mostly kept reading due to the weirdness of the setting and my curiosity on where he was going with the plot, which didn't really start getting established until about 3/4 of the way through with some massive expo-dumping. I did appreciate some of the tangents the author went on explaining the nature of the world he created, though. It made it feel more realistic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Kidnapping
Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Racism, Blood
Minor: Car accident
Look, I’m conflicted, because I want to give this zany, ahead-of-its-time, thrilling book five stars. I loved the over the top characters and the cyberpunk world and the philosophy that doesn’t really make sense but is fun enough to give a pass and the often whip-smart writing. It kept me up at night wanting to read more. Here’s what’s holding me back:
- Lots of slurs and you-went-out-of-your-way-to-write-this racial/homophobic stuff that lemme tell ya baby do not need to be in there. It’s written in 1992 but this shit still matters dude!
- Stephenson, why are you sexualizing the 15 year old so much? Why does she, eventually,
fuck a 30 year old ? Is it sexual agency, “just how men are”, or is it just gross, dude? - A frankly BAFFLING Sumerian mythology tie in (eg, a huge part of the plot) whose explainer takes, I shit you not, maybe 75 pages. Stephenson had a dream and a hyperfixation, he sure did, but I am good at following exposition and man I would have finished the book a day earlier if I wasn’t wasting time going back and forth from sheer “huh?” factor over this shit.
So, look. Not being fuckin’ creepy and racist and a good editor would have made this 5 stars.
UPDATE: ok, knocking this down further bc in retrospect, there’s just so many annoying writing moments that make this book drag or stumble in ways that weren’t necessary. Kisses
UPDATE: ok, knocking this down further bc in retrospect, there’s just so many annoying writing moments that make this book drag or stumble in ways that weren’t necessary. Kisses
Snow Crash (Bantam Spectra Book) by Neal Stephenson (2000)
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book is so disgusting it doesn't even merit a review of anything other than the sickening fact that it includes a graphic rape scene between a fifteen year old and a 30-40 year old. And it's played for laughs. It's played like it's consensual. It's played like it's supposed to be sexy and appealing. A child and someone more than double her age. I don't even want to talk about anything else in the book. It's not worth my time (but rest assured, it's all garbage anyway).
I will never pick up anything from this pedophilic creep scumbag author ever again. If I could give this zero stars I would.
I guess honorary mention to this cis het white guy author writing almost every racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, sexist, etc slur into one single book. That's an impressive amount of bigotry to fit into your little pedophile self-insert nerd fantasy.
I will never pick up anything from this pedophilic creep scumbag author ever again. If I could give this zero stars I would.
I guess honorary mention to this cis het white guy author writing almost every racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, sexist, etc slur into one single book. That's an impressive amount of bigotry to fit into your little pedophile self-insert nerd fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Violence, Blood, Car accident
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Gun violence, Homophobia, Sexism, Transphobia, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Trafficking
adventurous
funny
fast-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
The clear influence Snow Crash has had on sci-fi radiates from this book, which I have to respect even though I didn’t love the style.
Haven’t read many books as drenched in tech-dystopian-societal satire, which while a bit too relentless for me at times, is undoubtedly endearing here and there. This is a poster child for maximalism in that department, with the main character being called “Hiro Protagonist”.
I found the exploration into the Tower of Babel and our linguistic skeletons pretty fascinating. Along with that, the worldbuilding is truly something, with how many factions and figureheads he juggles here. Worth checking out.
Haven’t read many books as drenched in tech-dystopian-societal satire, which while a bit too relentless for me at times, is undoubtedly endearing here and there. This is a poster child for maximalism in that department, with the main character being called “Hiro Protagonist”.
I found the exploration into the Tower of Babel and our linguistic skeletons pretty fascinating. Along with that, the worldbuilding is truly something, with how many factions and figureheads he juggles here. Worth checking out.
My girlfriend lent me this to read on the plane when I had a long flight. Overall entertaining, I didn't feel like I was slogging through (mostly), but it takes itself Way too seriously for a book whose main character is named Hiro Protagonist.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This would have been so cool if it wasn't written like Julia Stiles hacker monologue from "Ghostwriter" (though given the timeline, that monologue could have been written to sound like this!). It's fine for a short bit like in Ghostwriter (which is also tempered by that fact that... not everything is like that) but it's incredibly tedious to read, perhaps especially if you're more of a casual sci-fi-er like myself. Anyways, disappointing because I wanted to enjoy the time I spent in this world and I love Sumerian shit but alas. It's a no from me, console cowboy.