Comments on: Snow Crash http://heliologue.com/2010/01/22/snow-crash/ Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:08:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Ben http://heliologue.com/2010/01/22/snow-crash/comment-page-1/#comment-186735 Ben Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:11:37 +0000 http://heliologue.com/?p=4899#comment-186735 I've found most of the cyberpunk I've read to be either an exercise in mimicry or an exercise in excess. The latter are better by orders of magnitude, of course, but there's still something to be said for authorial constraint. Poe comes to mind. I’ve found most of the cyberpunk I’ve read to be either an exercise in mimicry or an exercise in excess. The latter are better by orders of magnitude, of course, but there’s still something to be said for authorial constraint. Poe comes to mind.

]]> By: Nick http://heliologue.com/2010/01/22/snow-crash/comment-page-1/#comment-186517 Nick Sat, 23 Jan 2010 13:09:56 +0000 http://heliologue.com/?p=4899#comment-186517 I do think this book runs a bit long for what is effectively a prose exercise in "Wouldn't it be cool if...?", even though the answer, in many cases, is yes. I didn't dislike it, but I've shied away from Stephenson ever since, even though the subject matter of <em>Cryptonomicon</em> compels me to get to it eventually. Also - seeing as how I can't resist making a jab at Dan Brown at every opportunity either - haven't you ever found his use of the word "factual" a bit grating? I mean, who says "factual" in the context of researching fiction? Does he even know what facts are? I'm guessing not, given that his appreciation of interpretive problems in history pretty much boils down to: a) history is written by the victors; b) that must mean there's a loser; c) therefore, if the victors are clearly hiding something (which they are) the conspiracy theorists must be right. I do think this book runs a bit long for what is effectively a prose exercise in “Wouldn’t it be cool if…?”, even though the answer, in many cases, is yes. I didn’t dislike it, but I’ve shied away from Stephenson ever since, even though the subject matter of Cryptonomicon compels me to get to it eventually.

Also – seeing as how I can’t resist making a jab at Dan Brown at every opportunity either – haven’t you ever found his use of the word “factual” a bit grating? I mean, who says “factual” in the context of researching fiction? Does he even know what facts are? I’m guessing not, given that his appreciation of interpretive problems in history pretty much boils down to: a) history is written by the victors; b) that must mean there’s a loser; c) therefore, if the victors are clearly hiding something (which they are) the conspiracy theorists must be right.

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