i, for one, am happy to be living in the first chapter of a neal stephenson novel
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oo neal stephenson is a gap in my sci fi reading
where is good to start?
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- anathem if you want to read the sort of novel where at one point a character explains what a configuration space is to another character
- reamde if you want to read the sort of novel where gold farming in an MMO is a major plot point
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i've read diamond age and cryptonomicon but long enough ago that i don't remember much about my impression. i used to like anathem a lot and like it less now but reamde is still solid except i wish it had less action and more wacky MMO stuff
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my general verdict about neal stephenson as an author is that he comes up with amazing premises but never really sticks the landing. i'm unsatisfied with the ending of every neal stephenson novel i've ever read
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endings are really hard
feel similarly about a few greg egan books but not like I have better ideas for the ending so 🤷
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yeah agree about egan. i read orthogonal and don't remember anything about it especially the ending 😅 some of his short stories are gold tho!