Quicksilver, the first tome in Neal Stephenson‘s new trilogy, has just been released to decent reviews. I may just have to take a break from orals reading and procure a copy…fortunately, Stephenson’s Baroque Cycle seems to be set in Colonial America, so I might even be able to rationalize such a digression.
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Somehow, I’m halfway through despite a hectic life. At times, “Quicksilver” reads like a jukebox, randomly spouting out facts and figures whenever NS damned well feels like it. I don’t think there’s a moment thus far that hasn’t included a major historical character or tied an experiment or event into something discovered a century or two down the line. In fact, my major criticism thus far is that Stephenson, perhaps at the behest of his publisher, offers TOO MUCH in the way of generalities, spoonfeeding the readers with footnotes and charts rather than entrusting the reader to do his own damned homework. Every time Alan Turing showed up in “Cryptonomicon,” it was never like this. But it’s still a hell of a fun read from a passionate author who perhaps understands geeks, even 17th century ones, better than any other novelist working today.