Neal Stephenson - Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer

Pros: Great story, epic plot, incredible ideas, fun characters
Cons: Hard to get into at first - very lofty concepts and a big vocabulary

Neal Stephenson is not an author; he is a natural phenomenon. His style of prose could easily be compared to a Thomas Pynchon or Ernest Hemingway - like short, descriptive punches to the gut. But he possesses a subtle and frenetic energy neither author...

Pros: fabulous plot vehicle
Cons: nothing, really

Out of all of Stephenson's novels, even including Cryptonomicon, I think that this is my favorite. If in his other novels, Stephenson uses building blocks to create a fantastic world, in this book he uses the most delicate pieces and instruments to...

Pros: Incredible visions of technology. Penetrating insights into the nature of creativity, morality, spirituality, etc.
Cons: Shaky plot, flat characters, immature style. Occasionally ridiculous fantastical vision of technology.

In preparation to embark on Stephenson’s latest novel(s), the 3000 page monumental Quicksilver series, I have been working to finish his earlier endeavors. In my first book review on epinions, on Stephenson’s ...

Pros: Fascinating and realistic view of life in the age of nanotechnology; more realistic, less turbulent than Snow Crash
Cons: Ending was a bit abrupt, but falls under artistic license

I am temporarily working in San Francisco right now, shuttling back and forth between Vancouver most weekends. To help pass the time in airports and on the plane (at least until cruising altitude, when I can take out my laptop) I’ve been buying books...

Pros: it's neal stephenson! interesting technopaganistic ideas
Cons: neal's still working on his style

I used to hate Sci Fi, especially most of what's been written in the 90's. Last summer, however, i embarked on a Sci Fi reading list that included all of William Gibson (author of such classic gems as Idoru and Neuromancer), and the whole of Neal...

Pros: Fantastic evocation of a world dependent on nanotechnology and a evocative story line.
Cons: Stephenson squanders a lot of rich material here. This could have been a great trilogy.

For me, the definition of a good sci fi novel is one that makes me excited about the ideas. I don’t need a perfectly resolved experience with all the ends neatly tied up. Blade Runner and the novel it’s based on (‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’)...

Pros: Good character development, intriguing world
Cons: Might be too fanciful for people into harder science fiction

This is Neal Stephenson's most fanciful book. It interweaves a sort of mysticism with his great, witty, fast-paced writing style.

The book explores what would happen to the world if essentially a huge amount of free resources of any type...

Pros: A vibrant, multidimensional world full of hip technology and crazy people.
Cons: Wait, there's a story in here somewhere, if I could only find it.

The Problem With Modern Science-Fiction Many science-fiction writers find themselves lost ...

Pros: engaging characters & ideas
Cons: weak ending

Neal Stephenson's fourth novel - The Diamond Age - is at least as good, if not better, than his well-received third novel - Snowcrash. Both feature Stephenson's spectacular view of the future, but where Snowcrash features a skateboarding Kourier, a...

Pros: engaging epic story; charismatic heroine; author's prose
Cons: tech concepts and society not fully realized; lack of denouement

I have been reading Neal Stephenson (in fits and starts) since 1984, which was when his vainglorious and little-read comic epic The Big U appeared on bookshelves at University bookstores. With its trade-paperback size and cute cover of dormgirl eating...

Pros: Original and enjoyable
Cons: Can get lost sometimes

The Diamond Age is described as Neo-Victorian, where old-school technology and high-tech live together. If you've read The Difference Engine (Bruce Sterling and William Gibson), same thing. Heavy focus on nano-technology.

There was a lot to...

Pros: cool future tech, interesting characters
Cons: a bit disjointed at times

The story takes place in the future when nation states have largely ceased to exist. Tribalism, technology clades, and all pervasive nanotechnolgy rule the world. The description of nanotech is rich and its applications many. The invasion of these...

Pros: Nell's story is deeply enthrawling
Cons: Jumps around too much

Neal Stephenson's book, The Diamond Age, was almost as good as it could have been. Through 3/4 of the book, I simply could not put it down. The greatest hardship was getting through the other characters to get back to Nell. While the other characters...

Pros: wild look at future technology
Cons: too tough for casual sci fi reader

I had already had a taste of Neal Stephenson's style in "Snow Crash"- his epic cyberpunk novel of computer hackers and virtual reality. He careens through his writing in a frantic, free-flowing, almost stream of consciousness way. This book- The Diamond...

Pros: Fun plot and interesting science
Cons: Writing is a little unpolished

Summary: Good, but Snow Crash is somewhat better. Enjoyable, though. Worth the read to see what kind of cool nano tricks Stephenson comes up with. If I had to put together a must read sci-fi list, this book would be on it.


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