Snow Crash (Bantam Spectra Book) 
asked by noreason on November 10, 2006 10:43 PM
From the opening line of his breakthrough cyberpunk novel Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson plunges the reader into a not-too-distant future. It is a world where the Mafia controls pizza delivery, the United States exists as a patchwork of corporate-franchise city-states, and the Internet--incarnate as the Metaverse--looks something like last year's hype would lead you to believe it should. Enter Hiro Protagonist--hacker, samurai swordsman, and pizza-delivery driver. When his best friend fries his brain on a new designer drug called Snow Crash and his beautiful, brainy ex-girlfriend asks for his help, what's a guy with a name like that to do? He rushes to the rescue. A breakneck-paced 21st-century novel, Snow Crash interweaves everything from Sumerian myth to visions of a postmodern civilization on the brink of collapse. Faster than the speed of television and a whole lot more fun, Snow Crash is the portrayal of a future that is bizarre enough to be plausible.
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"In reality, Hiro Protagonist delivers pizza for Uncle Enzo's CostaNostra Pizza, Inc., but in the Metaverse he's a warrior prince." This book jacket intro does not begin to do justice to the tour de force of sheer originality, silliness, and fun that Stephenson shares with us in "Snow Crash". The first chapter, alone, is worth the price of admission as we follow Hiro on a death-defying pizza delivery, in which he risks everything and leaves Dirty Harry sounding like a first rate wimp. It also may leave you laughing so hard you can't quite get a breath in - which is what happened to me.
"Snow Crash" was my first introduction to Neal Stephenson's bizarre blend of science fiction and adventure, and while I did not close the book on its last page feeling entirely fulfilled, I did close it feeling as though I'd borne witness to something powerful and unique. The novel never quite achieves, or maintains coherence, and the ending feels somewhat tacked on - as though the author simply hit the stop button on the roller coaster. All of this is basically okay, however, as the book is less a story than it is an experience.
I can say with confidence that I've never read anything quite like it, and even Stephenson's other works pale next to it for sheer imaginative power. Sometimes growing almost overwhelming in its new-concept-a-minute (sometimes a-second), a roller coaster ride seems to be the best metaphor I can think of to describe the book. If you are willing to overlook some weaknesses in plot logic, and the need for a truly satisfying ending in return for something absolutely new and fresh, then take a chance on "Snow Crash" - you'll find it's about as risky as rolling a loaded dice.
"Snow Crash" was my first introduction to Neal Stephenson's bizarre blend of science fiction and adventure, and while I did not close the book on its last page feeling entirely fulfilled, I did close it feeling as though I'd borne witness to something powerful and unique. The novel never quite achieves, or maintains coherence, and the ending feels somewhat tacked on - as though the author simply hit the stop button on the roller coaster. All of this is basically okay, however, as the book is less a story than it is an experience.
I can say with confidence that I've never read anything quite like it, and even Stephenson's other works pale next to it for sheer imaginative power. Sometimes growing almost overwhelming in its new-concept-a-minute (sometimes a-second), a roller coaster ride seems to be the best metaphor I can think of to describe the book. If you are willing to overlook some weaknesses in plot logic, and the need for a truly satisfying ending in return for something absolutely new and fresh, then take a chance on "Snow Crash" - you'll find it's about as risky as rolling a loaded dice.
reviewed by jazzman on November 25, 2006 6:45 AM
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Snow Crash is about the world in the not to distant future were the government has folded and everything is run by corporations. The Mafia has incorporated and runs a Pizza franchise, and I'm sure the ethnic slam is totally intentional. The man in charge of the mafia is called Uncle Enzo. The author seems to find this kind of thing amusing or clever because the main character's name is Hero Protagonist. His full name Hiroshimo Protagonist but he is referred to as Hero throughout most of the book. This was almost enough to make me stop reading right there.
The author seems to like programming and by like I mean he has naughty dreams late at night about strings of ones and zeros. Since programming is the little window through which the world is viewed in Snow Crash, everything is rammed through that window. Things like religion, philosophy, the evolution of man, and pretty much everything else neatly passes through this window with surprising ease.
This is a techno-punk-thriller kind of book so there is a virus/drug out there called Snow Crash that spreads through computers and people, because people are just complex computers. This virus may just cause the collapse of capitalization, but fortunately there is Hero out there. A novel idea but not necessarily what makes for a good novel. Sorry I was feeling punny.
There is some mildly interesting sword fighting, car chases, sex, and nifty futurist stuff going on if you can slog through the fist third of the book.
So, I would recommend passing on the book unless you are into the whole techno-punk-thriller genre or have nothing better to do. If you fall into the first category, "geek on my pimply faced friend".
The author seems to like programming and by like I mean he has naughty dreams late at night about strings of ones and zeros. Since programming is the little window through which the world is viewed in Snow Crash, everything is rammed through that window. Things like religion, philosophy, the evolution of man, and pretty much everything else neatly passes through this window with surprising ease.
This is a techno-punk-thriller kind of book so there is a virus/drug out there called Snow Crash that spreads through computers and people, because people are just complex computers. This virus may just cause the collapse of capitalization, but fortunately there is Hero out there. A novel idea but not necessarily what makes for a good novel. Sorry I was feeling punny.
There is some mildly interesting sword fighting, car chases, sex, and nifty futurist stuff going on if you can slog through the fist third of the book.
So, I would recommend passing on the book unless you are into the whole techno-punk-thriller genre or have nothing better to do. If you fall into the first category, "geek on my pimply faced friend".
reviewed by bigchad on November 25, 2006 12:17 PM