Subject: SNOW CRASH by Neal Stephenson

From: [email-masked] (Heresiarch)
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1993 19:39:27 GMT

It has become customary to compare any novel that treats the relationship of
humans to their computer-generated fantasy worlds to Gibson, and to label
all such novels 'cyberpunk.'  _Neuromancer_ proposed the technological
metaphor for despair, a TV tuned to a dead chanel.  A 'snow crash' is a
similar image.  A computer experiencing an error state may crash so hard
that the screen dissolves in meaningless fuzz.

Having made the ob cyberpunk comparison, I will state that it's totally
unfair to compare Neal Stephenson with Gibson.  Gibson with a sense of humor
and character development, maybe.  Stephenson knows computers, and has
devised his own ACM-sanctioned virtual reality that is a reasonable
extrapolation from current technology, and offers us a deeply-researched
root mythology that isn't voodoun, which is becoming the
elves-and-King-Arthur of technological fiction.

Hiro Protagonist (last of the freelance hackers, greatest sword fighter in
the world, stringer, Central Intelligence Corporation, Specializing in
software-related intel (music, movies & microcode) is no Case.

_Snow_Crash_ is the only truly successful present-tense narrative I've ever
read.  The book layout makes subtle use of desk-top publishing and the
occasional graphic to give the narrative an additional dimension.

By now you've probably figured that I liked it.  Go read it before it starts
to look dated and quaint.

%T	Snow Crash
%A	Neal Stephenson
%C	New York
%D	June 1992
%I	Bantam Books
%O	paperback, US$10.00
%G	ISBN 0-553-35192-3
%P	440pp
--
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