On 15/03/13 17:22, Victor Churchill wrote:
>
> I'd concur with all the comments above. Loved Cryptonomicon, and also
> the Baroque Cycle, in differnet ways. I actually thought REAMDE,
> whilst being a good romp, was a bit flat in comparison; devent yarn
> but did not have the depth and the quasi-fractal excursions of the others.
I'd largely agree with you there Victor. REAMDE is a geek's Alastair
MacLean / Hammond Innes style romp that just builds and builds. It lacks
the charm of Cryptonomicon but has generated some incredible action
scenes and some thoroughly engaging characters.
>
> I thought Anathem was extraordinary too. I've only read that one once
> so far and it will definitely get read again.
Yes, that was a real change of style and pace for him and real
slow-burner that really drew me in.
>
> Stephenson has managed to do somethjing totally different from all his
> previous books each time he brings out a new title (apart from the
> Baroque trilogy, of course). And SNOW CRASH remains an absolute classic.
Indeed, I loved the whacky almost cartoon-like characters and far-out
scenarios that Snow Crash created. The Baroque trilogy was a bit of a
slog - a bit like a trudge upa steep mountain with patches of cloud that
cleared to reveal amazing views - hard work and rewarding in the end.
Have you tried any of the 'Mongoliad' series yet? It's a collaborative
effort with Greg Bear (among others) that reads surprisingly smoothly
given the varied input, and centres around 13th century martial arts
across Europe and Asia. Available cheap on Kindle, I read them on my
smartphone (the first time I have done this) and thoroughly enjoyed the
first two, and now have the third queued up and ready to go.
Sean
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