4 ms·

Also the GOAT of cable laying articles: Neal Stephenson doing gonzo journalism on the topic in the 90s https://euripides.dk/setebos/frx/matrix/ai/books/stephen

Also the GOAT of cable laying articles: Neal Stephenson doing gonzo journalism on the topic in the 90s https://euripides.dk/setebos/frx/matrix/ai/books/stephenson_mother_earth_mother_board.pdf https://euripides.dk/setebos/frx/matrix/ai/books/stephenson_...

buildbot 2y ago
Oh, so that’s why Cryptonomicon has so much detail/plot points about submarine cable laying!
- lelandfe 2y ago
  Any time he goes off on some wild tangent in his books, I assume it's because he just recently learned a lot about it and feels compelled to put that info somewhere. I remember Reamde spending a full two pages on the benefits of lashing tires to your fishing craft.
  - lxgr 2y ago
    Personally, that's exactly why I love his works! "Fictionalized Wikipedia" is an underappreciated genre :)
  - bombcar 2y ago
    This used to be relatively common, I think it's Les Miserables that spends an inordinate amount of time discussing the Paris sewer system.
    - gavindean90 2y ago
      Hundreds of pages
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - privong 2y ago
    > Any time he goes off on some wild tangent in his books, I assume it's because he just recently learned a lot about it and feels compelled to put that info somewhere. Stephenson discussed this a bit in the Long Now launch event[0] for "Polostan" and more or less confirmed what you suspect. He also went on to say that he has learned to reel that in and avoid those "rabbit holes". He avoids such digressions in Polostan, in my opinion to the detriment of the book. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTK1vuv96Rc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTK1vuv96Rc
    - lelandfe 2y ago
      Oh wow, this was just from a couple weeks ago. Nice one.
typeofhuman 2y ago
Thank you!
rasz 2y ago
I remember reading this and preceding 'In the Kingdom of Mao Bell' https://www.wired.com/1994/02/mao-bell/ https://www.wired.com/1994/02/mao-bell/ and imagining making those articles went down like in 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' book/movie :-)
baxtr 2y ago
56 pages on internet cables? Wow

buildbot 2y ago

Oh, so that’s why Cryptonomicon has so much detail/plot points about submarine cable laying!

lelandfe 2y ago
Any time he goes off on some wild tangent in his books, I assume it's because he just recently learned a lot about it and feels compelled to put that info somewhere. I remember Reamde spending a full two pages on the benefits of lashing tires to your fishing craft.
- lxgr 2y ago
  Personally, that's exactly why I love his works! "Fictionalized Wikipedia" is an underappreciated genre :)
- bombcar 2y ago
  This used to be relatively common, I think it's Les Miserables that spends an inordinate amount of time discussing the Paris sewer system.
  - gavindean90 2y ago
    Hundreds of pages
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- privong 2y ago
  > Any time he goes off on some wild tangent in his books, I assume it's because he just recently learned a lot about it and feels compelled to put that info somewhere. Stephenson discussed this a bit in the Long Now launch event[0] for "Polostan" and more or less confirmed what you suspect. He also went on to say that he has learned to reel that in and avoid those "rabbit holes". He avoids such digressions in Polostan, in my opinion to the detriment of the book. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTK1vuv96Rc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTK1vuv96Rc
  - lelandfe 2y ago
    Oh wow, this was just from a couple weeks ago. Nice one.

typeofhuman 2y ago

Thank you!

rasz 2y ago

I remember reading this and preceding 'In the Kingdom of Mao Bell' https://www.wired.com/1994/02/mao-bell/ https://www.wired.com/1994/02/mao-bell/ and imagining making those articles went down like in 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' book/movie :-)

baxtr 2y ago

56 pages on internet cables? Wow