Looking for Stephenson readers to tell me which of his works I should read next, if I so choose to take that great leap of time to do so.
I rather enjoyed "Seveneves." I could've done without the great technical details but they were easy enough to skim over and added an air of believability that I find almost essential to this sort of fiction. I was left wanting to see what other worlds have come spinning out of this man's mind, but I have found the task of selecting a Stephenson saga quite daunting.
Bottom line: I want to know if any of you have any enthusiastic recommendations regarding his work? Please and thank you.
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Neal Stephenson reads post Seveneves
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Re: Neal Stephenson reads post Seveneves
The book was great, but he could chop out 2/3 of the exposition. Increased realism at the cost of boredom is something I'm fine without. I can fill in the details and accept even the most absurd premises. He also drops into passive voice from time to time, and the prose pushes you out of the book.
Read cryptonomicon next, it's probably his best.
Read cryptonomicon next, it's probably his best.
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Re: Neal Stephenson reads post Seveneves
I haven't read much sci-fi, so my palate for it is certainly underdeveloped. "Pushed out" is a good descriptor for what I felt throughout much of the story, though I can't say it was the passive prose that did it. It was more likely the page after page after page of dry manual.
It is possible that I feel that I liked it so I don't feel like I wasted that week and a half, and with that slightly absurd fear of wasting time comes the daunting task of selecting a second saga, so I do appreciate your input. I'll likely check out cryptonomicon after I finish with this setting a watchman business. It has seemed to garner the most buzz, but it's always helpful to hear from an individual as well. Thanks!
It is possible that I feel that I liked it so I don't feel like I wasted that week and a half, and with that slightly absurd fear of wasting time comes the daunting task of selecting a second saga, so I do appreciate your input. I'll likely check out cryptonomicon after I finish with this setting a watchman business. It has seemed to garner the most buzz, but it's always helpful to hear from an individual as well. Thanks!
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Re: Neal Stephenson reads post Seveneves
NP. For more absorbing and easier to read sci-fi, go with John Scalzi. For space epics that are slower than Scalzi but faster than stevenson, go with Peter Hamilton.
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Re: Neal Stephenson reads post Seveneves
Fantastic! I dig absorbing and fast. Maybe I'll just start with Scalizi, check out Hamilton, and work my way back around to Stephenson. I got stuck in a non-fiction phase for the better part of a decade, and then I didn't read anything at all for a few years so it's great to have something of a starting place. Thanks again!
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Re: Neal Stephenson reads post Seveneves
Hello, I joined booktalk because I recently discovered Neal Stephenson and want to hear from fans of his what other authors they like. I'm reading Cryptonomicon now.
I have a technical background and am interested in possibilities for nanotechnology, crypto, etc... A little liberatarian flavor is good as well:)
I have a technical background and am interested in possibilities for nanotechnology, crypto, etc... A little liberatarian flavor is good as well:)