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A review by mikeledford
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
5.0
Snow Crash was the first novel I read by Stephenson, so I was afraid of being disappointed by anything else. Cryptonomicon does not disappoint. [b:Snow Crash|40651883|Snow Crash|Neal Stephenson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1530057753s/40651883.jpg|493634]
I never thought I'd get into historical fiction, but I found myself looking up references throughout the story thinking "there's no way this actually happened" but more often than not, it's steeped in historical fact. I love it.
The characters are well rounded and flawed, which is refreshing after reading a few Murakami books in which the protagonist projects nothing but false modesty and borderline uncomfortable macho chauvinism. [b:Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World|10374|Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World|Haruki Murakami|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1399844477s/10374.jpg|2531870] Stephenson's character writing is top notch, and three dimensional.
I found myself looking up some of the $2 words sprinkled about, some words I've never heard before but were used well in context. I never felt like he was writing down to me, or worse, dumbing it down for a wider audience.
The only issue I ran into is the same issue that plagues any sci-fi writer; technology anachronisms. When viewed in context of the time it was written, the technology is on par. But some parts didn't age well when describing computer programs and operating systems. Kinda like watching 50's sci-fi movie tech. It's not world-breaking, but it does take me out of the story in a few places.
Counter to this, Stephenson essentially predicted the rise of cryptocurrency and the need for decentralized money. The book way written 10 years before Bitcoin became a thing.
All in all, if you like a good adventure/mystery wrapped up in a bit of nerdy cryptology, dive right in. Don't let the page count deter you; it's a quick read and there aren't any lulls to speak of.
I never thought I'd get into historical fiction, but I found myself looking up references throughout the story thinking "there's no way this actually happened" but more often than not, it's steeped in historical fact. I love it.
The characters are well rounded and flawed, which is refreshing after reading a few Murakami books in which the protagonist projects nothing but false modesty and borderline uncomfortable macho chauvinism. [b:Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World|10374|Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World|Haruki Murakami|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1399844477s/10374.jpg|2531870] Stephenson's character writing is top notch, and three dimensional.
I found myself looking up some of the $2 words sprinkled about, some words I've never heard before but were used well in context. I never felt like he was writing down to me, or worse, dumbing it down for a wider audience.
The only issue I ran into is the same issue that plagues any sci-fi writer; technology anachronisms. When viewed in context of the time it was written, the technology is on par. But some parts didn't age well when describing computer programs and operating systems. Kinda like watching 50's sci-fi movie tech. It's not world-breaking, but it does take me out of the story in a few places.
Counter to this, Stephenson essentially predicted the rise of cryptocurrency and the need for decentralized money. The book way written 10 years before Bitcoin became a thing.
All in all, if you like a good adventure/mystery wrapped up in a bit of nerdy cryptology, dive right in. Don't let the page count deter you; it's a quick read and there aren't any lulls to speak of.