5 ms·

I'd recommend some of Stephenson's earlier works: Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, Reamde, Anathem are all great. I actually think Seveneves is one of his weakest boo

I'd recommend some of Stephenson's earlier works: Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, Reamde, Anathem are all great. I actually think Seveneves is one of his weakest books.

ryanSrich 5y ago
Agreed. I wasn’t a big fan of seveneves. Cryptonomicon and Snow Crash are must reads. Anathem is a beast that I just couldn’t get into, though I tried several times.
- Ar-Curunir 5y ago
  Anathem was (surprisingly!) my first book by him. I then read Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon, and am now a cryptographer, in no small part due to these books =)
dochtman 5y ago
Do you think Seveneves is weaker than Fall? That seems like a really hard sell to me.
- davidgould 5y ago
  Stephenson has done some great things, but dude needs an editor badly. I'm afraid success has scared off anyone who can tell him when to stop. Fall, had some interesting and vivid passages, but the whole "Dodge wakes up in a simulation with a brain injury" bit, and really the rest of the book from there to the end could have been cut. That would leave us with a much better 350 page novel about the near future instead of yet another Stephenson -- much longer than the original! -- attempt at retelling the Book of Genesis.
  - vbsteven 5y ago
    I liked Fall actually, but I can imagine pure sci-fi readers being put off by the second part. It’s a 2-for-1 situation which brings together sci-fi and fantasy elements in interesting ways. But you’ll have to enjoy reading both genres or else it will be a slog. As with all fiction books, my usual advice is to read it for pleasure, and put it aside if you don’t like it or it doesn’t live up to expectations. You don’t have to finish a book just because you started it.
    - davidgould 5y ago
      What sort of person do you imagine will find your "usual advice" necessary or helpful?
- shpongled 5y ago
  I haven't read Fall, because one of my buds told me it was even worse than Seveneves :/
eps 5y ago
Snow Crash is his best book. Imaginative and punchy as fuck. Cryptonomicon is very good too. Should be a must read for people who want to make another Tor :) Incomparison, Reamde is slow and boring.
- ackbar03 5y ago
  Huh interesting. I actually thought reamde was the most gripping after I got through the first 2 or 3 chapters which were indeed a bit slow. I wasn't able to finish cryptonomicon, that one was the most boring for me
  - etrautmann 5y ago
    Interesting- cryptonomicon was the book that gripped me abs made me pursue a technical career.
noduerme 5y ago
The Diamond Age as the follow-up to Snow Crash is also a great piece of sci-fi. Cryptonomicon is fun, I re-read that recently. I wouldn't really call it sci-fi, though. More like historical fiction..

I'd recommend some of Stephenson's earlier works: Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, Reamde, Anathem are all great. I actually think Seveneves is one of his weakest books.

ryanSrich 5y ago

Agreed. I wasn’t a big fan of seveneves. Cryptonomicon and Snow Crash are must reads. Anathem is a beast that I just couldn’t get into, though I tried several times.

Ar-Curunir 5y ago
Anathem was (surprisingly!) my first book by him. I then read Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon, and am now a cryptographer, in no small part due to these books =)

dochtman 5y ago

Do you think Seveneves is weaker than Fall? That seems like a really hard sell to me.

davidgould 5y ago
Stephenson has done some great things, but dude needs an editor badly. I'm afraid success has scared off anyone who can tell him when to stop. Fall, had some interesting and vivid passages, but the whole "Dodge wakes up in a simulation with a brain injury" bit, and really the rest of the book from there to the end could have been cut. That would leave us with a much better 350 page novel about the near future instead of yet another Stephenson -- much longer than the original! -- attempt at retelling the Book of Genesis.
- vbsteven 5y ago
  I liked Fall actually, but I can imagine pure sci-fi readers being put off by the second part. It’s a 2-for-1 situation which brings together sci-fi and fantasy elements in interesting ways. But you’ll have to enjoy reading both genres or else it will be a slog. As with all fiction books, my usual advice is to read it for pleasure, and put it aside if you don’t like it or it doesn’t live up to expectations. You don’t have to finish a book just because you started it.
  - davidgould 5y ago
    What sort of person do you imagine will find your "usual advice" necessary or helpful?
shpongled 5y ago
I haven't read Fall, because one of my buds told me it was even worse than Seveneves :/

eps 5y ago

Snow Crash is his best book. Imaginative and punchy as fuck. Cryptonomicon is very good too. Should be a must read for people who want to make another Tor :) Incomparison, Reamde is slow and boring.

ackbar03 5y ago
Huh interesting. I actually thought reamde was the most gripping after I got through the first 2 or 3 chapters which were indeed a bit slow. I wasn't able to finish cryptonomicon, that one was the most boring for me
- etrautmann 5y ago
  Interesting- cryptonomicon was the book that gripped me abs made me pursue a technical career.

noduerme 5y ago

The Diamond Age as the follow-up to Snow Crash is also a great piece of sci-fi. Cryptonomicon is fun, I re-read that recently. I wouldn't really call it sci-fi, though. More like historical fiction..