I'm just updating this review I posted in 2011.

Since reading this book I have read two more Neal Stephenson novels namely The Diamond Age and Anathem. Of the three I think Snow Crash is the most fun book. It is not as deep or thought provoking as the other two (Anathem especially) but the most wildly entertaining. I can still remember the "the greatest pizza delivery scene in world literature" and YT's "harpooning" cars as if I was there.

The experience is like reading about being in VR while being in a sort of VR myself. To me a good book (novels specifically) is like virtual reality, being immersed in a book takes me away from wherever I am. The people or the environment I am in does not register, if I had anything cooking on the stove it would get burned, telephones and door bells go unanswered.

Snow Crash is one such book and I heartily recommend it to anyone who want to take a quick leave of their current reality.

The behemoth that more or less peaked cyberpunk while simultaneously taking the piss out of it in slaphappy fashion. Even William Gibson never afterwards quite wrote or treated these themes the same: witness Virtual Light and the remainder of the Bridge Trilogy, which tried to incorporate the humorous style that Stephenson IMO wielded to far better effect herein. Snow Crash just has so much going on—and all with the breathless pace and visual flair of the video games the author must surely have had in mind during composition—that even the harshest critic should find something to like inside. As for myself, I was highly entertained and impressed, and even though I failed in fully comprehending the evolutionary Sumerian linguistic virus angle, what I did grasp struck me as farfetchedly brilliant. Which phrase can actually be liberally applied to the entirety of Stephenson's genre (b)ending book, beginning with what everybody first notices: that Hiro Protagonist works when, by any measure, it should have tripped the author up flat right there on the first page. Indeed, the fact that Hiro and his skateboard dude pizza-delivery persona, together with the other oddball-casted crew set within a United States so compartmentalized that even Atlas might not deign to shrug, fits seamlessly into the cartoon panel-paced, frenetically amplified fun is a testament to Stephenson's skills as a novelist, one who can just reign in his predilection for info-dumping ere it abrades the reader and/or topples the story bearing its mushrooming mass.

There is a certain kind of joy that comes when you stumble across an author who instantly becomes one of your favourites. Particularly when they already have a lot of books for you to read. I’d heard good things about Neal Stephenson and Snow Crash in particular and, I’ll be honest, this book had been on my to-read list for over five years by the time I finally got around to reading it. I’m my fellow Goodreaders are familiar with that particular issue but, hey, what a great problem to have, am I right?

Anyway, this is a great slice of SF/Fantasy. I normally hate SF and Fantasy being lumped together in the same category but in this case you can’t really call it anything else, as this is definitely as much Fantasy as it is SF. It also has a large comedic element, which took me by surprise as I hadn’t seen it mentioned as a comedy anywhere. I mean, don’t get me wrong; it’s not Douglas Adams but Stephenson has a great sense of humour and absolutely cannot resist a pun (an affliction I also suffer with... well, the people I spend time with suffer with my inability to resist a pun more than I do, to be fair).

It deals with a near-future Earth where large corporations and organised crime (and what’s the difference, anyway, eh?) have mostly kicked official governments to the curb and people spend as much time on the Internet (never called by that name in this book, interestingly) via their VR interfaces as they do in the ‘real’ world. Our protagonist, who goes by the hilarious moniker of ‘Hiro Protagonist’, starts out as a high tech pizza delivery boy and ends up, in the time honoured heroic tradition, saving the world. Well, parts of it, anyway.

It’s more about the journey than the destination, though, and that journey involves a feisty courier, mob bosses, the last dregs of the federal government, hitmen with nuclear weapons, the history of the world going back to Sumerian times, physical, technological and magical viruses and cyborg dogs who can break the sound barrier. There’s a bunch of other stuff in there, too. It’s great.

I absolutely loved this one and will definitely be checking out more of Stephenson’s work.

The Name of the Code

This 1992 novel is an action thriller with an intellectual premise, much like n  "The Da Vinci Code".n

A better analogy is probably n  "The Name of the Rose",n because the premise is partly linguistic.

The Year and State of the FOQNE

The world building is both immediate and effective. Almost straight away, I started to detect its conscious or subconscious influence on subsequent literary fiction.

Though it's set in California rather than Boston or Alaska, the acronym FOQNE (Franchise-Organised Quasi-National Entities) seemed to foreshadow the private sponsorship of years in n  "Infinite Jest"n ("the Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment"), while the bureaucratese in the regulations about toilet paper usage at the Fed headquarters (chapter 37) reminded me of David Foster Wallace's posthumous novel, n  "The Pale King"n (2011). The arrival of a boatload of Russian Orthodox refugees in California suggested Michael Chabon's n  "The Yiddish Policemen's Union"n (2007).

Privatised Public Enterprise

In this world, everything (even the police, the CIA, the justice system and public education) has been privatised and franchised to and by nefarious business interests like the Mafia and dubious religious "charities".

So now we have CosaNostra Pizza University, MetaCops Unlimited, Judge Bob's Justice System, General Jim's Defence System, Admiral Bob's National Security, and the Central Intelligence Corporation (which now runs the Library of Congress). All public and government services have been literally bought off. At least, it's all transparent, if no less corrupt.

Hacker Boy and Skater Girl

There are two main protagonists, a hacker boy (the post-modern-monikered Hiro Protagonist [a la Nabokov's "Hugh Person"], a “post-adolescent Army brat", a “talented drifter", a pizza deliverator for CosaNostra Pizza and a freelance hacker who sells information to the C.I.C.) and a skater girl (a sexually active 15 year old – “a fucking teenaged girl" - Y. T. [it stands for “Yours Truly"], a Kourier, who tags along behind speeding vehicles on the freeway by attaching a magnetic harpoon to them (“pooning")).

Hiro looks Asian - he's half Korean (via his mother), half African (via his father). He has “cappuccino skin and spiky, truncated dreadlocks”. He owns a couple of nice Nipponese swords, which he uses skillfully and lethally. His favourite band plays speed reggae.

Y. T. is Caucasian, almost a WASP, like her concerned and adoring mother. You wonder whether the two will hook up, but they work in parallel (and alternating chapters) rather than together.

The Hiro's Journey

Hiro still has a soft spot for a former student and work colleague, Juanita Marquez. She married their boss, the owner of Black Sun Systems, which created the virtual reality Metaverse (in which half of the novel's action takes place).

This is all pretty subcultural so far, which might account for a lot of the novel's success within the wired, self-proclaimed geek community.

However, what interested me more was a few of its more literary qualities.



Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/scifi/commen...

Cartoon Action

Apart from the description, the novel is primarily plot-driven, as you would expect from a thriller.

Throughout much of the novel, it reads like a cartoon, almost a Marvel superhero comic (without superheroes, except in the Metaverse). So much so, I'm surprised it has taken so long to make it into a film or a TV series, especially in the wake of the success of "The Matrix" and "The Da Vinci Code". Maybe there's just too much action for the format.

From a literary point of view, this cartoon quality reminded me of Robert Coover's (1977) n  “The Public Burning".n Complete with a political message, this is a more apt analogy than Neal Stephenson's revelation that “Snow Crash” germinated in a collaboration, the goal of which was to publish “a computer-generated graphic novel". That said, Stephenson finished his contribution as a novel, rather than scripting a more cyberpunk version of “Tank Girl" (1995).

The Neurolinguistic Hacking of the Selfish Meme

The novel has been criticised for info-dumping. However, this really only happens in four out of 70 chapters (30, 36, 56 and 57), which detail the linguistic premise of the novel, which was of greatest interest to me (so it added rather than detracted for me).

Stephenson refers to segments of language or lines of digital code that form memes, which are capable of acting like a biological virus. While these memes are the basis of language, culture and civilisation (right back to Sumerian times), they are also the tools of social control, domination and destruction.

The later part of the novel concerns the rebellion of the protagonists against those who are abusing the memes for capitalist and religious purposes. Being an American novel, there was no hint of socialism, more a subcultural anarchistic activism. Apart from this detail, the novel bears some resemblance to China Mieville's Bas-Lag novels (2000 - 2004).

Un buon romanzo fantascientifico-cyperpunk, col ritmo di un thriller d'azione. La scrittura è molto scorrevole, forse si sofferma troppo su combattimenti vari, che, a mio modesto modo di vedere, renderebbero meglio sullo schermo sotto forma di film. Comunque mi ha riappacificato con la fantascienza-cyperpunk. Lo stile senza fronzoli ha reso la lettura molto lineare e divertente, con momenti molto interessanti sulla mitologia sumerica e riflessivi sulle descrizioni del Metaverso, avatar, hacker ecc...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d0OW...

Cyberpunk’s next generation pretty much began here. Written by someone who -unlike William Gibson- actually knows computers, this anime in novel form is one of those rare SF books that is read by many non-SF readers.

On a personal note, this is probably the only book I’ll ever read whose main character is half black and half Japanese, just like me! When I first read it, I was working at a pizza place, just like the protagonist, and I actually got fired around the same time I got to the point of him losing his job as well. Also, my first name is Hiroshi and he goes by Hiro. Cool, huh? OK, aside from those neat little coincidences, we are not at all alike. It just made reading it all the more fun for me. Plus I hated that job.

Admittedly, there are certain aspects of this book that are a tad dated now (it was written in 1991), and he can’t quite get past certain stereotypes of Japanese people that many Westerners harbor. Still, there is some fun bit of social commentary and parody on just about every other page, and Stephenson satirizes globalization years before most people even knew what globalization is.

There is also some really fascinating stuff involving the concept of memetic viruses, which he ties to Sumerian mythology and the Tower of Babel. I know that a lot of people find this part of the book to be boring, but I was fully engrossed. The kind of thing I live for when I read SF.

I tried. I really, really did. Everyone kept telling me I'd love it, that is was so seminal to recent sci-fi that I just had to read it if I was to truly appreciate the genre… And then I did and I was like… "Meh!" To be fair, a lot of elements of "Snow Crash" are flipping cool. I for one, look forward to the day and age where pizza-delivery mafias will replace the governement; can't be worse than what's going on now. The origins of language and how language shapes the human mind is such a fascinating subject, as is the Sumerian mythology used to bring these concepts on. But these things are so overwhelmed by male-adolescent fantasy-fulfilling elements that the good bits end up too little too late for me.

A katana-wielding hacker/pizza delivery boy who goes by the name of Hiro Protagonist (I am not even kidding) is recruited by his corporation-running-genius ex-girlfriend to find and destroy a computer virus named Snow Crash that destroys the minds of the hackers plugged into the Metaverse who come in contact with it. He partners up with YT, a daredevil skateboarding teenage girl with a serious attitude problem. Hiro will soon find a link between the Snow Crash, which turns out to be a neuro-linguistic virus, and a religious organization who seeks to use it as a tool for mass population control.

The uneven pace, the huge piles of exposition, chase scenes that are as useless as one infamous pod-race, the clumsy way Stephenson tries to make YT's chapters sound more like her by dumbing down his writing (if I see the word "thingy" one more time, so help me…): all these things were so annoying that while I can appreciate what he was doing, I did not have a good reading experience slugging my way through "Snow Crash". I'm sorry Neal: I know you were trying really, really hard, but I think that might just be your problem, trying too hard.

Of course, now I know where "The Matrix", "Ready Player One" and a ton of other books and video games got their ideas from, and that's great. I am glad I read it, but I won't be re-reading it; if language related sci-fi is your thing, check out "Embassytown" by Mieville, which is dense, but at least it's gorgeously written.

This is one of those books that's so awful you look for any and every distraction to keep yourself from reading. I have never been that great at ironing, so I looked at some videos online and practiced. I did so much Facebook stalking that I feel like I've broken the law. And, embarrassingly, I've spent so much time iPhone gaming that I reached a new low and downloaded fucking Candy Crush Saga. CANDY CRUSH SAGA! When I'm broke, hungry, and cold, lying in the streets begging strangers not for food or shelter, but for extra lives in Candy Crush, I will only have Neal Stephenson to blame. Okay, and myself: I should have had the strength and sanity to put this trash down and just walk away. I wonder if I have any candy...

Crazy, strange, exciting, visionary, action-packed, sexy. Reading this book is like watching the Matrix for the first time. Though it may lack pretense of more complex literature, it asks vague and interesting enough questions to match The Bard's sophistry.

Beyond that it is just a great read. It shows a vision of the future that seems eminently likely, but unlike 1984 or Brave New World, has not started to feel stilted. It also lack the long-winded philosophical diatribes and allegories that stagnate that breed of classics. Gibson may have invented Cyberpunk, but Stephenson takes the genre out for a joyride and loses a hubcap on a bootstrap turn.

It was originally planned as a graphic novel, but when that got scrapped, Stephenson filled it out and got it published. Perhaps this is why his other works never match Snowcrash's frenetic teenage energy and sensuality. I wish there were more books this interesting and enjoyable.

Neuromancer, the book most frequently shelved on Goodreads as 'cyberpunk', was my top read of 2013. n  Snow Crashn, the book second most frequently shelved on Goodreads as 'cyberpunk', is currently my top read of 2014.
I think I might be a cyberpunk fan...

n  Snow Crashn was just perfect. See exhibit A:

hero
ˈhɪərəʊ/
noun
1. a person, typically a man, who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

protagonist
/prəˈtaɡ(ə)nɪst/
noun
1. the leading character or one of the major characters in a play, film, novel, etc

So Stephenson has named his main character Hiro Protagonist. I find that to be a) funny and b) clever. This makes me happy. If you do not like this joke, you probably won't like this book.

Hiro is the embodiment of cyberpunk cool. He is a freelance hacker and the world's greatest swordsman. He passed up the opportunity to be mega-rich to help out his Mum and promotes non-profit Ukranian nuclear fuzz-grunge gigs in his spare time.

We open the story with a 20 page life-or-death 'chase' sequence, with Hiro (under the persona of The Deliverator) attempting to... deliver a pizza for the mob. The action is fun, fast paced and always imaginative. The world building is dark and mocking, but also cocky and juvenile.

n  Snow Crashn reminded me of a madcap blend of The Gone-Away World, The Matrix (movie), Scott Pilgrim (comic), Ghost Dog (movie), Altered Carbon, Tron (movie) - and Neuromancer, of course! But it's so much lighter, sillier and altogether more joyful than Neuromancer! Most similar is The Diamond Age (which followed this, but that sort of goes without saying...)

I tore through this in my spare moments, around work, family, life, etc - with that resentful growl every time someone dragged me back to reality. "Erm, C, I can see you're enjoying your book, but we really need you in this meeting..." Grrrrrr!

So a lot of people hate it. So what?! They're all wrong!
Normally I hedge my statement... "I can understand that..", "..but I can imagine if..." It's so liberating being on outright fan!
This is my seventh Stephenson and I've loved them all.

I want to harpoon a car with my electromagnet then get towed on my sci-fi skateboard with telescoping spoke-feet smart-wheels, damnit!

I've been putting off reading n  Snow Crashn for YEARS because I just KNEW that I would love it like this... so I was saving it... like the very last cookie in the jar.
And I was right; it was sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

Why isn't there a MOVIE/ANIME SERIES/COMPUTER GAME of n  Snow Crashn?!

After this I read: A Stranger North

6.0 stars. On my list of All Time Favorite novels. While reading this book, I was constantly thinking to myself "WOW, what a great concept" and "HOW did Stephenson think that up?" Without giving away too much in the way of spoilers, I was particularly amazed at the way the author took computers, vitual reality and the metaverse and tied it into ancient religions, philosophy and the origin of language. I thought this aspect of the novel was absolutely mind-boggling. Add to that a great anti-hero, a superb villain (actually several villains) and a brilliantly detailed and quirky view of a dystopian future and you have a one of kind reading experience. HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION!!!!

Nominee: British Science Fiction Award for Best Novel
Nominee: Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best SF Novel
Nominee: Locus Award for Best SF Novel
Nominee: Prometheus Award for Best Novel

Loved it! Can't recommend it highly enough. Everyone should read this book. Go do it. Do it now. It's just awesome. You won't regret it.

I didn't love my first experience with Neal Stephenson (The Diamond Age) but this was completely a different scenario. I'm very much looking forward to trying more of his work.

Big thumbs up.