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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
With no offense to his uncle, this book is pure Stephenson, shot through with elements of Zodiac, Cryptonomicon, and the Baroque Cycle. This political/conspiracy thriller is augmented by some plausible-but-not-yet-realized tech. Although some events are obvious to the reader long before they happen, the story moves at a satisfying pace, keeping the premonition from being frustrating. Less ambitious than Stephenson's recent works, this is also more tightly constructed, while showing a more mature writing style than his early novels. As such, it's not a bad introduction for readers new to Stephenson. If Snow Crash is on your bookshelf, Interface should be next to it.
This is a wonderful political adventure novel, with a thin vein of science fiction running through it. If all political thrillers were this smart, snappy, funny, and thought-provoking, I would read a lot more of them. Or perhaps Clancy is a real knee-slapper and I just don't remember. But Interface follows an electoral campaign and along the way manages to ask some very profound, fundamental questions about the ethics of self-improvement and the nature of identity and life itself, all while being an enjoyable romp of a novel. The characters are well-developed and interesting (though from this and [b:Reamde|10552338|Reamde|Neal Stephenson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1305993115s/10552338.jpg|15458989], we now know never to be a weaselly man with a problem with alcoholism who is ungallant toward women in a Stephenson novel), the story is well-paced, the plot is fiendishly clever, and the action is well-done. All this along with prose that occasionally made me chuckle out loud.
Books like these make me wonder why Stephenson's novels have not already been made into sensationally popular blockbuster movies. The bones are all there: charismatic characters, adventure, special effects, and a joyous buoyancy that doesn't worry too much about being overly pedantic. Maybe people have offered and Stephenson is just being picky, which is laudable, but this would make a phenomenal movie, one I'd love to see, and maybe it would get more people reading Stephenson. Which can only be a good thing. I recommend this book to those who already love Stephenson, and to those who don't yet know they could.
Books like these make me wonder why Stephenson's novels have not already been made into sensationally popular blockbuster movies. The bones are all there: charismatic characters, adventure, special effects, and a joyous buoyancy that doesn't worry too much about being overly pedantic. Maybe people have offered and Stephenson is just being picky, which is laudable, but this would make a phenomenal movie, one I'd love to see, and maybe it would get more people reading Stephenson. Which can only be a good thing. I recommend this book to those who already love Stephenson, and to those who don't yet know they could.
good
but I know neal stephenson for being long winded, thats not true here.
which I think is fine as we have gained a good pace here and there is a good amount of action and fluff that was cut out for the better. Just great use of not covering the obvious no matter how exciting it is.
IDK how to explain that but so many books would include generic scenes for the sake of continuity but here its cut for the better.
BUT
there are about 3 instances that could have used more
1 - the tech could have used the deep dive I have expected from this author
2 - more explanation of a character relation or two
3 - the simplicity of the conspiracy could have used a deeper dive
but I know neal stephenson for being long winded, thats not true here.
which I think is fine as we have gained a good pace here and there is a good amount of action and fluff that was cut out for the better. Just great use of not covering the obvious no matter how exciting it is.
IDK how to explain that but so many books would include generic scenes for the sake of continuity but here its cut for the better.
BUT
there are about 3 instances that could have used more
1 - the tech could have used the deep dive I have expected from this author
2 - more explanation of a character relation or two
3 - the simplicity of the conspiracy could have used a deeper dive
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Funny, moving, exciting and frightening. While the tech is dated the themes are spot on, prescient even.
Great, thought-provoking book that kept me reading late! Especially timely given our current round of presidential elections.
Classic weird Neal Stephenson book that goes into an absurd amount of detail in the middle but is overall pretty good. Got off to a slow start, slapped by the end. Definitely some characters that I had no idea how they would connect that all managed to connect by the end, like those Otto and Othis people living in the middle of Oklahoma. Definitely slapped by the end. Wild ending, shoutout to Eleanor Richmond for having some great monologues. Better than the Big U, worse than Seveneves (but only by a little bit)
Wittily written, a real page-turner with an interesting plot and memorable characters. The way all the stories converge and intertwine is done very well as well. My biggest issue however, is how the story ends. If the previous part is believable (sometimes hardly, but still) and even shows some plausible mechanisms of mass-media and politics, the ending is going way off into political fantasy realm.
Interface is a sharp departure from the other fiction I have read by Stephenson. It is set in the present, but has technology that is pushing the envelope of what is possible today. This book does a really good job of simultaneously examining what might be possible with neurological implants and the way our political system actually works.
The strongest feature of this book, is that Stephenson does a really good job of pointing out how easily manipulated the general populace is by political maneuvering. The things that the political experts in Interface do are at the same time believable and totally horrifying, both because they are immoral and because they would probably actually work.
If you are interested in the possibilities of politics or neurological implants, I would definitely recommend this book.
The strongest feature of this book, is that Stephenson does a really good job of pointing out how easily manipulated the general populace is by political maneuvering. The things that the political experts in Interface do are at the same time believable and totally horrifying, both because they are immoral and because they would probably actually work.
If you are interested in the possibilities of politics or neurological implants, I would definitely recommend this book.
Interesting thriller about the presidential election with a sci-fi twist, perfect time of the year to read it!