Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson

High tech future runs out of steam

Neal Stephenson delights in setting up and describing a parallel reality. Just like our world but not quite. And what a set up. His imagination dazzles in the first third of this story set in the near future, but then things start to go awry. Introducing a librarian to allow long explanations of his ideas and plot is a clunky writing device, made worse still as the story heads towards its climax with the major characters gathered for a final explanation as though this were some 21st century Agatha Christie. As the first part of Snow Crash shows, Stephenson could do better, and would later in his career, as his writing chops caught up with his imagination.

How did I miss this?

As a fan both of the Cyberpunk genre and of Stephenson, it's hard to believe that I've only just found this book. As ever with this writer, there are layers and layers of detail which make the imagined society feel absolutely real. And in 2007, this requires far less of an imagination that it must have in the mid 90s; Stephenson's vision is already developing in reality.

The themes of infection, duality and societal anarchy are explored beautifully and my only quibble is the way we don't get a particularly satisfying conclusion.

prophetic

I found this a bit slow to begin with but after 100 pages or so the story really starts to motor, taking you along at a fair clip. The prose sizzles with stone-hard description, cool tech and a sassily cool main character. It's funny in places too, properly funny.

The ideas in here mark it out for special attention. Set in a chaotic, privatised, broken up, lawless future world, and inside a 3-D virual one, the story explores the nature of language, religion and hacking. Orbiting the central ideas, which I'm not sure gel completely convincingly (but are still convincing enough), we encounter other fine fruits of Stephenson's imagination like the massive floating refugee camp, Kouriers with their fantastic skateboards, and guard dogs from hell.

The rest of it works. Fine characters, some really great set pieces and a good ending. A super read - well worth the time invested.

(Snow)Crashed and Burned!

It's almost 10years since I 1st read this, I've lost count of the times I've re-read it! This is what real sci-fi should be about, possible futures, read this, look at the publication date and then marvel at how spot on many of the concepts thru this novel are now reality. Not only did Neal Stephenson create a gripping read, but incorporated fact and future worlds..... still waiting for the kick ass movie this would make!!!!

Fantastic,may yet turn out to be Prophetic

As well as making an excellent story, I think it's not unfair to say that "Snowcrash" perhaps more than any other cyberpunk novel can claim to have inspired the development of the Internet as we know it today. 15 years after first publication there are many uncanny resemblances - "Google Earth" (as developed by the CIC government agency in the book), "Second Life" with its market in customisable Avatars (one of many embryonic Metaverses) and beyond.

Stephenson's style might not be to your taste (for example his books are notorious for their endings or lack thereof) but you have to read this book, if only to understand what all the fuss about virtual worlds is about.