Snow Crash
category: science fiction, author:Neal Stephenson
original copyright 1992
read in March 2010
Agamedes' opinion: 8 out of 10: really quite good
Snow Crash is near-future science fiction. And I thoroughly enjoyed it!
So what's right with Snow Crash?
Okay, it's set in the near future. Although... possibly... in 1992 the author thought that the "near future" of this book would be 2012. Okay, it's predictive. Snow Crash takes some scientific ideas -- including ideas from social science -- and... sort of... predicts the future. Really, though, it is more exaggeration than prediction...
Take these current day situations. Extend them ad absurdum, to their ridiculous limits. This is not prediction -- it is comic absurdity. And a lot of fun.
Okay, there's also a lot of violence. Cartoonish violence. There are no laws and might is the accepted way of establishing right. Yet there is a pleasant innocence about the whole book.
The hero chops -- kills -- people with his sword, though he doesn't enjoy it. He only chops evil people, only in self defense, it is an accepted response to severe physical threats. No worse than Road Runner, really... Which is an unfortunate comparison. Because I really dislike Road Runner.
At the end of the book, the hero has saved the day and -- more importantly -- he has given up his slacker ways, in order to set up his own business, doing the work at which he excels. (Not the sword fighting; the other work at which he excels.)
The heroine also has a career change just past the end of the book. Well, it seems clear that if there is a book two, she will be promoted to a position from which she is expected to take over the business. Unfortunately, "the business" is the mafia.
Another aspect of this book's acceptance of violence: the mafia is an accepted business group, with a willingness to kill and maim. Cartoonish, again. Yet it seems to me to be too close to the public "family support" image behind which the mafia has long attempted to hide.
Ah well.
I'm almost ashamed to say, I enjoyed the book. The violence, the willingness to do violence, the ever-present threat of violence, are all a part of the fun of this book. In fact, they are all essential parts of the fun.
With that touch of innocence: neither hero nor heroine are ever in danger of being seriously harmed in the making of this book.
In an author's footnote, Stephenson reveals that Snow Crash started life as an illustrated novel. Yes, I can definitely see that: the plot is comic book, through and through. With far more detail, fun, depth of character than could be packed into even the best of illustrated novels.
Snow Crash is also, a book for young adults. Anyone else can enjoy it. It's just that the violence is not really suitable for children. And the computer themes and lack of, well, deep meaning and reference to reality, may be unsuitable for older, more cynical adults who have lost their love of fun.
Don't buy Snow Crash for your children. Nor for your aged parents. But don't worry if they read it. And don't be surprised if they thoroughly enjoy it.
| These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting.
For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com. |
| PissWeakly: the Index |
1 comment:
July 2017: I re-read Snow Crash. And have a completely different impression of the book...
My original review is almost entirely correct. More recently, I read other Stephenson books, including Reamde. And I was amazed when I realised that Reamde and Snow Crash were by the same author. Must have completely changed his style, I thought.
Wrong!
On this second Crash reading... this is very much a Neal Stephenson book. The underlying science is heavy, way out there, presented in detail, central to the plot. It's just that the wham-bang-action plot of Crash is what stayed in my mind.
This time I am aware of the underlying science. (Or "science".) I read it rather than skim it. Fascinating! Enough factual basis to be interesting, enough fiction application to be exciting.
That "underlying science", by the way, is the more esoteric stuff. It is, basically, about mind control. With great lashings of application to religions ancient and modern... and to modern computer programmers.
What I noticed on my first reading was the more obvious science, the everyday stuff. That's the stuff which makes for a wham-bang adventure. The mind control stuff adds typical Stephenson depth to the novel.
My first reading had this book pegged as a smart hacker young adult against the less smart world, sort of adventure. This reading is the same -- with the addition of solid what-if science fiction, to add depth.
The same rating. But for somewhat different reasons.
Aside: This message is to be posted from a tablet. The comment-posting looks suspicious, I remember that it has failed me in the past. So if there are typos -- blame Google!
Post a Comment