Neal Stephenson – Xaviar X. Xerexes

Bookmark: Neal Stephenson

by Xaviar XerexesMarch 4, 2013

These “Bookmark” posts are useful for me; hopefully a few other people get something out of them along the way. I really enjoy Neal Stephenson‘s books. Unlike Stephen King, another novelist where the length of the book increases with each new effort, I never read a Stephenson book and wonder how badly he beat the editors. Stephenson books revel in their research, the density of information jammed into the pages is part of what makes his novels work. You can divide up the novels of Neal Stephenson into maybe three categories. Scholars and critics can tell me why I’m wrong …

Kickstart My Art: Clang

by Xaviar XerexesJune 10, 2012

Neal Stephenson is a geek legend at this point. I don’t think his first novel Snow Crash would have existed without William Gibson’s early novels coming first, but it’s just speculation on my part unless I get a chance to talk to either author. Don’t get me wrong, I love Neal’s books and unlike some, I’ve liked each new one better then the last. What some see as a weakness — stuffing a tremendous amount of knowledge on the subjects of his books — well, I tend to love that part of his books. His most recent project, The Mongoliad, came …

Neal Stephenson Enters the Googleplex

by Xaviar XerexesSeptember 15, 2008March 8, 2020

Neal Stephenson is an amazing processor of information. I (like countless other fans of his work) am currently reading Anathem, his latest novel which tackles such myriad issues as religion, science, the long clock… I’m only 200 pages into a lengthy brick of a book. So far it is living up to the amazing trilogy of his previous work, The Baroque Cycle books. If you missed them, The Baroque Cycle books are Quicksilver, The Confusion, and The System of the World. Stephenson has an amazing ability to process, digest and integrate knowledge in his work — the books are historical …