The Neal Stephenson Thread

[Formaldehyde]

What is your favorite novel? How many of his books have you read?

I have read all of his novels except his collaborative interactive fiction project, The Mongoliad. My favorite is Snow Crash, but I have greatly enjoyed all his novels. However, I must admit The Baroque Cycle was a bit tedious at stages, and it took a great deal of effort to finally get into Anathem.

How about you?

 

[Plotinus]

I have read only The Baroque Cycle and I thought it was superb. I especially liked the portrayal of Leibniz, which was pretty much how I have always imagined him. He did an excellent job summarising the differences between Leibniz's and Newton's philosophy (although I did spot one error: he cleverly uses punts turning on the river Cam to illustrate Newton's method of fluxions, but punts were only introduced to the Cam about a century ago). The character of Jack Shaftoe was absolutely awesome as well.

 

[Ozbenno]

I agree, thought The Baroque Cycle was awesome. Took me a long time to get through the books, because there was so much information I had to keep stopping to digest it all properly. Similarly for Cyrptonomincon, was an excellent book with plenty of information (on code breaking) to digest.

Also loved Snow Crash and The Diamond Age, though they were definately a lighter read than the above books.

 

[Formaldehyde]

If you liked The Baroque Cycle, I highly recommend you try Anathem. While it isn't historical fiction, it is about a society that is far more similar to our past. I particularly think Plotinus would enjoy the religious aspects.

Also, Zodiac is a very interesting read. You don't hear much about that book compared to his other more recent books, but I found it to be quite entertaining as well as informative. REAMDE falls into the same category while also having at least some in common with Cyrptonomincon.

 

[Atticus]

I thought of picking this for a summer read. It looks like there's more than one editions of Quicksilver. Is the only difference that it was later published in three parts, or has it been altered/augmented?

 

[Formaldehyde]

Quicksilver is the first volume of The Baroque Cycle.

 

[Plotinus]

Yes, but it is itself divided into three books, which I believe have been published separately. I don't know if there are any material differences between then different editions.

 

[Birdjaguar]

I've read all of his books. Loved them.

 

[sanabas]

I've read all of his books. Loved them.

Same. Including Interface & Cobweb, which were co-written with someone (just looked it up. Was his uncle, George Jewsbury, who's an historian/teacher) and originally published with a psuedonym, I think Stephen Bury.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Yes, but it is itself divided into three books, which I believe have been published separately. I don't know if there are any material differences between then different editions.

Ah. I had not realized that paperback versions of the 3 internal books had been released in 2006, 3 years after I had read it. No wonder there is so much confusion.

 

[Atticus]

Yes, especially since it looks like Quicksilver is the name of the first of three volumes of Quicksilver which is the first of three volumes of Baroque Cycle.

Splitting a volume in three looks like a preposterous way of publishing, and the three parts of it didn't look very thin, so I thought there could be added stuff. Apparently there isn't, or at least I saw no mention to it anywhere.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Quicksilver is 900 pages in three parts. The Confusion is 814 pages in two parts. And The System of the World is 912 pages in three parts.

Stephenson could have easily made it 8 books instead of 3.