Snow crash established stephenson as a major science fiction writer of the 1990s. Theres some profanity including fk, a few references to sex, and depictions of violence against both animals a pack of feral dogs and among human combatants. We try to guide our children towards reading books that are appropriate for their age group. In twentyfirstcentury america, a teenaged computer hacker finds himself fighting a computer virus that battles virtual reality technology and a deadly drug that turns humans into zombies. Neal stephenson is such a writer and snow crash is such a novel, weaving virtual reality, sumerian myth, and just about everything in between with a cool, hip cybersensibility to bring us the gigathriller of the information age. He graduated from boston university in massachusetts with a b. Like many of stephensons other novels, it covers history, linguistics, anthropology, archaeology, religion, computer science, politics, cryptography, memetics and philosophy. On a personal level, we see characters that do not play by the rules, do not play well with others, and generally avoid anything resembling order.
The use of the word avatar to describe someones presence in the digital world comes from snow crash. It means a system crasha bugat such a fundamental level that it frags the part of the computer that controls the electron beam in the monitor, making it spray wildly across the screen, turning the perfect gridwork of pixels into a gyrating blizzard. However, i will occasionally check for votefixing and remove offenders. However, stephensons new novel, seveneves, doesnt generate the kind of excitement for the future that weve come to expect from the author of snow crash, the diamond age, and anathem. Snow crash is funny, witty and highly intelligent reading. According to wikipedia, snow crash is a science fiction novel written by neal stephenson and published in 1992. From wikipedia the diamond age can be seen as set in the same universe as snow crash, many years later. May 02, 2000 only once in a great while does a writer come along who defies comparisona writer so original he redefines the way we look at the world. Neal stephenson is a name that shouldnt need much in the way of introduction to readers of speculative literature five of his last six novels have been new york times bestsellers. Only once in a great while does a writer come along who defies comparisona writer so original he redefines the way we look at the world. The theme for march was cyberpunk and we all chose snow crash to read and.
Amazon studios list for mustsee scifi tv features snow crash, ringworld, lazarus by alan boyle on september 29, 2017 at 11. When i read snow crash, i was amazed that the book was written in the early 90s. Aug 26, 2003 snow crash was written in the years 1988 through 1991 as the author listened to a great deal of loud, relentless, depressing music. If you enjoy rollercoaster rides, snow crash is definitely for you. Snow crash movie to be written and directed by joe cornish by ray walters 06. The book also reveals that hiro was born when his father was in the late middle age of his life between 55 and 59 years old. Jan 15, 20 the age at which we read a book is of vital importance to the way we experience it but that does not mean that each book comes with a correct age at which to read it. It wasnt just the books vision of a virtual world called the street. This is not the sort of book i would normally read. Snow crash has one of the most effective opening hooks in science fiction, a loving description of a hightech armored driver and car. By stephen northcutt this is not the sort of book i would normally read. It is a bit dated already its from 1992, but that is the prize you pay when you try to be hip and try to describe the near future. And in this case it actually added something interesting to the story, namely a backward view into the possible future as stephenson envisioned it a. The book appeared on time magazines list of 100 alltime best englishlanguage novels written since 1923.
Set preferences and get age appropriate recommendations with common sense media plus. Stephenson now resides in a comfortable home in the western hemisphere and spends all of his time trying to retrofit an office into its generally dark, unlevel, and asbestosladen basement so that he can. Seveneves is divided roughly in half, with the first half told in two sections, the second half in one long section. Snow crash is a mindaltering romp through a future america so bizarre, so outrageous. Neal stephenson was born in 1959 in meade, maryland and grew up in in ames, iowa. Snow crash by neal stephenson, first edition abebooks. Bruce sterling has said that stephenson is the first secondgeneration, native cyberpunk sciencefiction writer. If i were forced to make a decision as to which book is better ready player one or snow crash, i would pick snow crash with little to no hesitation. Stephenson predicted a lot of what we now take for granted in. You will never again look at toilet paper quite the same way afterwards. From the opening line of his breakthrough cyberpunk novel snow crash, neal stephenson plunges the reader into a nottoodistant future. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read snow crash. Unfortunately, the way he ended diamond age pretty much ruined what had been a very enjoyable book because the whole plot just went to pieces. Snow crash is a 1992 science fiction novel by neal stephenson.
Parents need to know that after the snow is a postapocalyptic adventure thats more realistic than many, centered on one 15yearold boys quest to find his missing family in the wilds of europe during a new ice age. Hiro protagonist, freelance computer hacker, worlds greatest swordsman, and stringer for the privatized cia, delivers pizzas for the mafiauntil his mentor da5id is blasted by snow crash, a curious new drug capable of crashing both computers and hackers. The book is let down by its poor plot on a par with a bad james bond movie two questionable scenes in my mind, and a particularly unbelievable resolution of the snow crash mystery. This study guide consists of approximately 81 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of snow crash. Jul 10, 2015 stephensons new novel doesnt generate the kind of excitement for the future that weve come to expect from the author of snow crash, the diamond age, and anathem. But snow crash, stephensons 1992 novel, changed all that. Just the sheer number of ideas that the book inspires puts it head and shoulders above rp1, as fun as it is.
It accurately describes many of the technologies we now not only have, but have access to every day. Basically, it all came apart in the second part of the book which also sports a rushed i can only see this book as a score of missed opportunities. The ideas in that book, and in most good science fiction, are what set it apart. Like many of stephensons other novels it covers history, linguistics, anthropology, archaeology, religion, computer science, politics, cryptography, memetics and philosophy stephenson explained the title of the novel in his 1999 essay in the beginning. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Neal stephenson is such a writer and snow crash is such a novel, weaving virtual reality. Also, just to note, stephenson is an immensely entertaining author, prone to polysyllabic fits of metaphorical fancy that make his prose as amusing as watching a drunk penguin try to tapdance. Snow crash by neal stephenson overdrive rakuten overdrive. Buy this book in california of the near future, when the u.
Neal stephenson goodreads author topics about this book topics that mention this book. A futuristic society encounters a computer virus that has the ability to scramble peoples brains. The result is a book that is actually fairly readable. Were clever, but not nearly clever enough to condense his style into brief chapter. The book opens with a description of the deliverator. Hiro protagonist, freelance hacker and the greatest sword fighter in the metaverse, teams up with y. The diamond age can be seen as set in the same universe as snow crash, many years later. Snow crash is neal stephensons third novel, published in 1992. Neal stephensons message in code technology the guardian. Neal stephenson the interview technology the guardian. Snow crash gives us a glimpse into an alternate america where the right to personal freedom overrides law.
Snow crash was written in the years 1988 through 1991 as the author listened to a great deal of loud, relentless, depressing music. The deliverator used to write software, now he delivers pizza for cosa nostra under one principle, the deliverator stands tall, your pie in thirty minutes or you can have it free, shoot the driver, take his car, file a class action lawsuit. Unfortunately, the way he ended diamond age pretty much ruined what had been a very enjoyable book. Jun 02, 2011 snow crash is a smart, cool, funny, witty, and actionpacked adventure featuring a pair of unlikely heroes who must save the world from infocalypse.
Cmon, people, your list voting records are visible right there. Stephensons new novel doesnt generate the kind of excitement for the future that weve come to expect from the author of snow crash, the diamond age, and anathem. Hiro joins forces with freelance skateboard courier y. It is a world where the mafia controls pizza delivery, the united states exists as a patchwork of corporatefranchise citystates, and the internetincarnate as the metaverselooks something like last years hype would lead you to believe it should. Fifteen years since its initial release, snow crash remains one of the most popular and important novels in recent memory. Snow crash movie to be written and directed by joe cornish. Its fine to not enjoy reading a book, but maybe you need a little perspective here. Snow crash project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Snow crash book the seattle public library bibliocommons. T is the female protagonist from the 1992 novel snow crash, written by neal stephenson. One of times 100 best englishlanguage novels a mindaltering romp through a future america so bizarre, so outrageous, youll recognize it immediately only once in a great while does a writer come along who defies comparisona writer so original he redefines the way we look at the world. Neal stephenson is still best known for science fiction novels like snow crash. Neal stephensons snow crash is one of the great unadapted novels of modern science fiction, right up there with its granddaddy in the cyberpunk genre, william gibsons neuromancer. In snow crash, hiros father was said to have joined the army in 1944 at the age of sixteen.
This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of snow crash by neal stephenson. This would set the diamond age some 80100 years after snow crash. I aimed for a 90s grunge plus thrasher punk skater culture, with a cyberpunk tone. Before the chapter actually starts, we get dictionarystyle definitions of the words snow, crash, and virus. Now, compare to the ending in diamond age in which the last chapter reads like it came from a different book and all of a sudden the ending to snow crash is excellent. Amazon studios list for mustsee scifi tv features snow.
Stephensons literary ambitions or abilities are not exactly overwhelming, but there is a considerable amount of attention to literary craft. I realise that other parents do things differently, but im not asking for opinions about that on this thread. Ready player one by ernest cline, snow crash by neal stephenson, reamde by neal stephenson, neuromancer by william gibson. Neal stephenson is such a writer and snow crash is such a novel, weaving virtual reality, sumerian myth, and just about everything in between with a cool, hip cybersensibility to bring us. Snow crash npr coverage of snow crash by neal stephenson. Science fiction, cyberpunk, dystopian my book club has started a new initiative to read a book each month from a different subgenre of science fiction or fantasy.
A man with wonderful hightech toys and samurai swords, who works for the mafia doing one of the few things that the united states still does better than any other country in the world. Parents need to know that nothing objectionable is presented in this final book of the toot and puddle series. Only once in a great while does a writer come along who defies comparisona writer so original, he redefines the way we look at the world. Id prefer a teen to read snow crash than say twilight or sensationalist or sexstereotyped stuff. Unlike most of the original 80s cyberpunks, he grew up in the new. My own children are younger but other family teens have been allowed anything their parents have read and get.
What is the connection between snow crash and the diamond age. I tend to be older and more conservative than what i suspect the target audience is, but i feel the richer for having read snow crash. Topics about this book topics that mention this book. It was that, much more than with gibson, geeks could look at. Snow crash is a smart, cool, funny, witty, and actionpacked adventure featuring a pair of unlikely heroes who must save the world from infocalypse. Stephenson also mentioned a book by julian jaynes, the origin of consciousness in the breakdown of the bicameral mind, as one of the main influences for snow crash. The age at which we read a book is of vital importance to the way we experience it but that does not mean that each book comes with a correct age at which to read it. Snow crash is a science fiction novel by american writer neal stephenson, published in 1992.
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