Early Neal Stephenson still worth reading for the completist. It's not postcyberpunk, it's not a hacker thriller, and it's not an historical drama about scientists either.

Zodiac is more based in the real world, about a hip environmentalist fighting corporate toxic waste in the mean streets (and seas) of Boston. Politically, it's very interesting to note that this is pretty much a leftist theme without any libertarian leanings. The main Stephensonism, however, is more about having a cool intellectual adventurer as protagonist, regardless of ideological leanings.

So activist Sangamon Taylor, based off the real-life Marco Kaltofen, basically works for Greenpeace and fights off the evil villains who are tampering with nature in the Boston harbor. The stakes get bigger and ever more exciting, although there is that typical abrupt Stephenson ending which may not be satisfying enough for all.

It's a relatively quick read, you can learn a lot about chemical compositions and such, and even with all the trademarked fascinating infodumps it goes by much faster than his latter 1000-page tomes. Topics range from why simpler molecules make for better drugs, to the finer intricacies of the Vietnamese restaurant scene. This is all quite funny, by the way. Enjoy!

Just make sure to level up to the better books if this one is your first...

My go-to book for spending a lazy day in bed hungover or sick. Delightful from cover to cover, this offering from Stephenson just scratches an itch. It's unpretentious, funny, smart, and joyful, with a large helping of cynicism about the world to keep it from being saccharine. Like the works Stephenson is more known for, it's a page-turner, but it doesn't have the sometimes overburdening weight of detailed technical backstory that turns people off of works like the Baroque Cycle or Anathem. At its heart, Zodiac is a hard-boiled thriller/detective novel. The protagonist is up against immense odds and uses his wits to outsmart the big baddies. There's sex and drugs and shenanigans in boats. This book also contains the best love letter to independent hardware stores ever set to words. Pure joy to read.

Dear S.T. -

I just finished reading your Zodiac adventures and how I loved them. At first I was a bit confused since I was expecting a science-fiction novel. I know, I know, you did start your memoirs clearly stating that this is an eco-thriller, but I was misled by the GoodReads shelving. Have you seen it? Oof! "Science Fiction," "Horror," even "Fantasy." Although "Cyberpunk" has be the best one given that your colleagues refuse to work in an office with a computer and you use yours only for printing and text-editing. Maybe it's because some guy named Neal-something wrote a bunch of SF novels, although I still didn't figure out the connection.

But enough of that. I don't think I've ever read such a fun thriller. Usually, this kind of tomes relinquish any kind of conviviality in order to accentuate their nerve-clenching aspect. But you look at life with the eyes of a big child tough dude, enjoying (almost) every moment. Did I tell you that I laughed out loud reading the car-chase description from Niagara and the subsequent shopping spree with the bad-guys' credit card? And your Macgyverian moments from the first half of the story were priceless. I did feel that maybe you started a bit late to get into the pith of the matter (around page 120 from 307) but that wasn't much of a problem.

However, S.T., I wasn't thrilled about you falling back to drugs every time when you're stressed. LSD, mushrooms, speed, and what else... For a "near-genius" chemist, one would think that you'd know better that kind of stuff permanently and irrevocably messes up your grey-matter. It made me a bit sad since a chemist would be the first one to understand how dangerous those drugs are. Watch out...

I have to finish here since I'm sure you have lots of fan-mail to read. Till next time, so long!

Zodiac was a bit muddled at points, with a large, mixed cast of eco-terrorists, corporate drones, scientists, and blue-collar Bostonians dropping in and out of the story, but overall it was a fast, exhilarating thrill-ride -- not too dissimilar from riding an actual zodiac.

It was reminiscent in a way to the cable television show Leverage, and if it were the show, it would have broken up nicely into three episodes -- the Swiss Bastards Job in Blue Kills, New Jersey; the Boner Chemicals Job in Buffalo, New York; and the Basco/Biotronics Job Boston, Mass.

n  Sangamon Taylorn just might be the love of my life (and, as far as I'm concerned, the fact that he's an emotionally unavailable, fictional character is kind of a win-win). By my metrics of greatness, billing n  STn (that's what all the cool kids call him) as the “Granola James Bond” undersells him by a long shot.

Employed as a n  “professional asshole”n (his words) by GEE, an environmental activist group in Boston, ST is a chemist by training, a fan of avoiding Boston traffic by taking to its waterways in his (sometimes) trusty n  Zodiac,n and, overall, is pretty much equal parts super-spy, mad scientist, and sardonic badass at large.

So, what makes Sangamon Taylor so swoon-worthy?

1. He's great at n  hand-to-hand underwater combat,n which is kind of a must.
n  n
n  n

2. Dude knows his way around a lab, but he's a nerd of the people—using six-packs of beer to illustrate the difference between benzene rings and phenyls is beyond brilliant. In a pinch, ST would definitely know how to make use of dry ice and a fun, sexy little molecule some like to call n  “dihydrogen monoxide.”n
n  n

3. Speaking of molecules, Sangamon's Principle: “The simpler the molecule, the better the drug,” comes in handy in the event that one needs to decide what kind of pick me up to employ before going into battle.
n  n

4. ST knows that n  no grenade is a good grenade,n but sometimes, you've gotta lay all tinnitus concerns aside, and pull the pin.
n  n

5. He definitely knows how to make the best of a bad situation…
n  n

6. Last, but not least, Sangamon Taylor understands that it's not about the size of the boat…it's about the engine, and knowing how to use it.
n  n

I could go on, but I don't want to induce seizures among the gif-sensitive masses. I'm far from being a n  Neal Stephensonn expert, but rumor has it that n  n    Zodiacn  n is an exception to the rule for those who, otherwise, are not big Stephenson fans.

Really, 2 1/2 stars.

If you have never read Neal Stephenson, then you will probably rate this book higher. But having read a good cross section of his other work, it was hard not to be a tiny bit disappointed.
This is not like his other books!

If you can get past that (or are happily ignorant!), and take it for what it is, then this is indeed an entertaining eco-thriller.
Everybody needs to cut loose and have some fun once in a while, right? Even authors.

Character development is somewhat lacking, but this is quite a twisty thrill ride. I will look at Boston differently with what I now know about the sewer system (ewww!). The most interesting parts were the science and chemistry tricks. It also had some good laughs. But my primary takeaway will absolutely be Sagamon's Principle: "The simpler the molecule, the better the drug."!

Primitive Stephenson is still good Stephenson

I’ve no idea why I hadn’t read Zodiac until now - Dodge was just published - being a huge Stephenson fan, but better late than never.
The roots of his style and themes are clear to see, and I’m glad to see he developed the confidence (or was granted the freedom) to run with them. Even this early he was having fun with his plot though, and it’s a fun read and, as always, I learned more than a few things along the way- always a hidden joy of Neal Stephenson’s books.
You really do need to bring an open and inquisitive mind along to get the most out of his novels. The reward if you do is totally worth it, guaranteed.

Zodiac is about a man named Sangamon Taylor, usually abbreviated S.T. He works for an organization called GEE International, the Group of Environmental Extremists. "They employ me as a professional a**hole, an innate talent I've enjoyed ever since second grade, when I learned how to give the teacher migraine headaches with a penlight." He discovers that one particular corporation is dumping some pretty severe toxic wastes into Boston Harbor, which is actually relatively commonplace, and in fact what GEE employs him to discover, but this one is fiddling around with genetic engineering, and the thing that they're talking about could have some really severe impacts.

Zodiac is a book liberally strewn with swear words and references to sex. It's a pretty good story, but the plot moves fast and it's sometimes hard to understand. I wouldn't recommend this book to someone looking for a fast fluffy read. I did like the explanations of the science behind all these toxic chemicals getting put into the harbor. I thought the author did a good job of explaining in simple enough terms to understand what a lot of these chemical processes are.

An early Stephenson, with all you would expect from him (wry sense of humour, info dumps, heavy on science), but on a much smaller scope.

Zodiac, the thrilling 2nd novel by Neal Stephenson. Sangamon Taylor, a rough and tough New Ager who sports a wet suit instead of a trench coat and prefers Jolt from the can to Scotch on the rocks. He knows about chemical sludge the way he knows about evil—-all too intimately. And the toxic trail he follows leads to some high and foul places. And when you mess with the powerful, you know what happens: Taylor’s house is bombed, his every move followed, he’s adopted by reservation Indians, moves onto the FBI’s most wanted list, and plays a starring role in the near-assassination of a presidential candidate. Closing the case with the aid of his burnout roommate, his tofu-eating comrades, three major networks, and a range of unconventional weaponry, Sangamon Taylor pulls off the most startling caper in Boston Harbor since the Tea Party. It may come together a little too easily at the end, but it's a great ride none the less. Get ready to dive into the toxic sludge waters around Boston.

8/10

An enjoyable science fiction thriller. Not quite a page turner but still a fun ride. Keen to read more of Stephenson’s work.