The Prophetic Dystopia of SNOW CRASH!

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  • Опубліковано 27 чер 2022
  • Let's talk about Neil Stephenson's future predicting work of #SnowCrash!
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 338

  • @DanielGreeneReviews
    @DanielGreeneReviews  2 роки тому +281

    Hiro… Protagonist…
    This is the greatest name ever conceived that didn’t need to be conceived.

    • @Nasser851000
      @Nasser851000 2 роки тому +34

      Next you'll be telling me there's a person named Mane Characta XD

    • @mndrew1
      @mndrew1 2 роки тому +1

      your failure to mention that the pizza chain was run by the literal mafia is disturbing. why are you covering for them sir?

    • @DanielGreeneReviews
      @DanielGreeneReviews  2 роки тому +25

      @@mndrew1 don’t… mess… with… the… mob!

    • @thetalantonx
      @thetalantonx 2 роки тому +9

      @@Nasser851000 Mane Karateka, a karate practitioner with a glorious mullet.

    • @bucketheadzombie1593
      @bucketheadzombie1593 2 роки тому +3

      @@Nasser851000 who has a cousin called Emm Sea

  • @RushedAnimation
    @RushedAnimation 2 роки тому +261

    I read this book and was blown away by how much it predicted about vr and the metaverse considering when it was written. I also picked up Ready Player One a month later and was blown away by how much it ripped off Snow Crash.

    • @justanothervoice2538
      @justanothervoice2538 2 роки тому +21

      Ready Player One is a crappy YA copy of Snow Crash.

    • @Sidenonra
      @Sidenonra 2 роки тому +9

      Ready player one is what happens when you take an author that doesn't understand economics, politics, games, teenagers, the internet, sex, people or just about anything in the book and tries to write about those issues.

    • @alwaysyouramanda
      @alwaysyouramanda 2 роки тому +1

      LOL I just got Snowcrash too after hearing so much about it. I love that it READS like a young man wrote it. It’s pretty funny so far- I’m just at the beginning.

    • @exponentialknowledge
      @exponentialknowledge Рік тому +1

      This was the first book I read in 2020 and it is still blowing my mind

    • @brycehammerton4542
      @brycehammerton4542 5 місяців тому

      I feel like I’m opposite from most people here. Snow crash is honestly the worst book I have ever read in my opinion. I cared zero about any of the characters because they had absolutely zero character development. The plot was an incoherent jumble of plot that it never kept me interested.
      I will say that some of the authors newer stuff like seveneves or termination shock did hit with me so I think snow crash may be the case of an inexperienced writer as this was one of his first novels.

  • @HasteWriting
    @HasteWriting 2 роки тому +82

    There's a line in the book about Hiro's car having the power to launch a pound of bacon into the asteroid belt, which is stupid and ridiculous on multiple levels, but sounds badass... and that sums up so much of Snow Crash. By the way I love this book.

    • @wilsontabb8222
      @wilsontabb8222 2 роки тому +5

      The first chapter hooks me harder than just about any other novel I’ve ever read. The humor, prose, and setting get me every time I pick it up.

    • @alwaysyouramanda
      @alwaysyouramanda 2 роки тому +2

      “We don’t measure in horsepower anymore.”

    • @HasteWriting
      @HasteWriting 2 роки тому

      @@alwaysyouramanda Only in asteroid belt calories. LOL

  • @ericmarquis319
    @ericmarquis319 2 роки тому +87

    One of the little things I love about this book is how good the made up slang is. It feels natural in a way that very few other writers are able to capture when they do the same.

    • @peterepeatepete2845
      @peterepeatepete2845 2 роки тому +8

      This is, to me, a low key indicator of an authors skill that is very subtle but can be very important.
      For example it drives me crazy when a book takes place on another planet but the character says “what on Earth?” When canonically that word shouldn’t even exist.
      Or when it’s another religious culture and they say something like “oh my Odin!” Instead of god, and that just sounds awkward and weird.
      But when it’s done well and the language feels natural and believable, it adds very subtle world building and immersion that can be key in the storytelling.

  • @trogdoar149
    @trogdoar149 2 роки тому +99

    Neil Stephenson is a pretty legendary Cyberpunk author, glad you're covering this classic! Snow Crash is a very important part of the "Cyberpunk canon" imo.

    • @godofchaoskhorne5043
      @godofchaoskhorne5043 11 місяців тому

      I don't get it. The reason I'm reading snow crash is because its supposedly cyberpunk. So I expected a gritty world. Instead it's a neon theme park in a cartoon version of Cyberpunk. I knew there was some satire like the main characters name.
      But the "cool" in this is mostly taking the piss. Everything is over the top and meant to be comedic. It kinda reads like a funny Cyberpunk for YA audience.

  • @akhiltrc9708
    @akhiltrc9708 2 роки тому +39

    What's fascinating is, we actually might be headed axactly that way- Dystopia with sugar coating. Even when humans are down in shit, we'll convince ourselves that nothing's really THAT bad. Snow Crash may be more prophetic than be currently realize.

    • @carstenbohme8813
      @carstenbohme8813 2 роки тому +2

      I would think that people who read to the book _do_ realize. It is terrifying.

  • @serrasedai
    @serrasedai 2 роки тому +37

    The thing that really astounded me about the book's prediction powers was the idea of buying and selling "property" like real estate but in a VR world. Paying real money for digital space. And then when The Sims became popular, and other things in the 2000s, suddenly that became reality: a digital estate market with real world value. Fascinating stuff. I also liked the little detail that what made people really buy into the VR world was getting facial heuristics right.

    • @carstenbohme8813
      @carstenbohme8813 2 роки тому +3

      Yes, but you have to ask: Did the book _predict_ the future or _form_ the future. I suspect that a lot of the technical staff in big tech companies did read the book when they grew up.

    • @danielsjohnson
      @danielsjohnson 2 роки тому

      Sounds like NFTs. We all know how stupid those were.

    • @Ornithopter470
      @Ornithopter470 4 місяці тому

      @@carstenbohme8813 it's definitely predictive, not really formative.

    • @bazimyan
      @bazimyan 21 день тому

      @@Ornithopter470 uh no, it inspired the people. Snow Crash was released before Google, digital currency, and Metaverse. Founders in Silicon Valley including Zuckerberg have directly stated that they were inspired by Snow Crash

    • @Ornithopter470
      @Ornithopter470 21 день тому

      @@bazimyan I'm well aware. But the ideas in snow crash, outside of the metaverse were present in older cyberpunk works.

  • @kaemonbonet4931
    @kaemonbonet4931 2 роки тому +51

    I recently read snow crash for the first time and at first I was worried it was gonna be weird and then hiro protagonist with his nuclear decimator vehicle or whatever it was, turned out to be a pizza driver and I was in.
    The joke landed and the critique was sound, I was in.

    • @farstrider79
      @farstrider79 2 роки тому +1

      I only read it about five years ago, it has held up well from the time it was written.

    • @alwaysyouramanda
      @alwaysyouramanda 2 роки тому

      Literally hooked by the end of page 3.

  • @Ellohir
    @Ellohir 2 роки тому +40

    From Neal Stephenson I would recommend Cryptonomicon, it's a weird story about 90's hackers trying to create a digital currency / tax haven while navigating the problems of a startup growing into corporation. It also has a parallel story in WW2 about decrypting nazi transmissions and applying information theory to warfare.
    So Neal not only predicted the metaverse, also bitcoin.

  • @gatling216
    @gatling216 2 роки тому +17

    I got the feeling that Snow Crash was intentionally off putting in a lot of ways. Like, Neal really leaned into the punk part of cyberpunk and dared anyone who didn’t like it to see Reason.
    If you’re doing foundational works of cyberpunk, you have to do The Stars My Destination and The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester. He basically invented the genre back in the 1950s and it’s criminal that these books are largely forgotten.

  • @christinaclouse3133
    @christinaclouse3133 2 роки тому +35

    It’s hard for me to analyze snow crash independently from diamond age as I feel like some of your critiques of the ending are addressed there, but obviously as a stand-alone work it does have some problems. I read this more than 20 years ago and I’m glad it’s still being received so well, thanks for the review

    • @tylerdurham6091
      @tylerdurham6091 2 роки тому +4

      Yes, Diamond Age is such a great companion to this!

    • @sonipitts
      @sonipitts 2 роки тому +1

      Diamond Age absolutely blew my mind when I read it.

  • @kaemonbonet4931
    @kaemonbonet4931 2 роки тому +20

    Linguistics in the plot was interesting enough to drive me through the slow parts but I will admit that's probably a me thing.
    I also love ns tendencies to just end the book where the action ends because I agree with your assessment that the problems aren't gonna be solved, it feels like the book sits with you for a while after.

  • @theflashhobbyist
    @theflashhobbyist 2 роки тому +7

    The opening of this book is one of the best steady realizations of the world, the hero, and his current job ive ever read. I listen to this openijg occasionally just to get fired up. Its soooooo fricking cool.

  •  2 роки тому +18

    If you like computers, his book Cryptonomicon is a must (and a pretty big book also, around 1000 pages long)
    Also, his essay into operating systems (In the beginning was the command line) was also a pretty interesting read

    • @ericmarquis319
      @ericmarquis319 2 роки тому

      I reread it not too long ago and certain parts are very funny in retrospect considering how the 'self-important crypto nerd' stereotype has faired lately

    •  2 роки тому +1

      @@ericmarquis319 I should reread it, read it 4 years ago and loved it, specially the more geeky part about gaussian distributions, PGP encryption and those things

    •  2 роки тому +1

      Plus, I'd like to read the baroque cycle "prequel" trilogy

    • @ericmarquis319
      @ericmarquis319 2 роки тому +1

      @ it's still good and I love those overly technically aspects, but the "dwarf visiting the shire" scene is physically painful

  • @DrewSwenson
    @DrewSwenson 2 роки тому +4

    Neal Stephenson is my absolute favorite author. I was immediately sold after the lengthy description that led to the declaration of Hiro as "The Deliverator". I thoroughly implore folks to check out his work. Zodiac, Cryptonomicon, the whole Baroque Cycle... All SO good!

  • @joenelson
    @joenelson 2 роки тому +5

    Neal is my favorite author, so glad to see your dive into his work. Enjoy!

  • @MandyRoeske
    @MandyRoeske 4 місяці тому +2

    Whenever I recommend this book to people, I warn them about the info dumping. I think the story itself is great and it would be amazing on film.

  • @maximeteppe7627
    @maximeteppe7627 2 роки тому +18

    funny, the Idea of a virus that is simultaneously digital and biological also makes it's way into tsutomu Nihei's "BLAME!" - which is a pretty cool manga (if you can take a manga that has almost no dialogue and is all wandering a cyber-apocalyptic city, with bursts of action and cryptic dialogue.
    It's a bit of a meme, but there is something reminiscent of dark souls in the way the reasons behind the narrative are evoked rather than spelled out.

    • @wildfire160
      @wildfire160 2 роки тому

      Not read the Manga but i have watched the Anime which was awesome...

    • @maximeteppe7627
      @maximeteppe7627 2 роки тому +1

      @@wildfire160 then absolutely read the manga. I really feel like the animated film doesn't do justice to the style of the manga.
      although, I'm not sure whether you refer to the Netflix CG animated movie, or the series of short animated vignettes that came out years before.

    • @orvilpym
      @orvilpym 2 роки тому

      @@maximeteppe7627 Seconded! The anime is fun and succeeds in taking some core ideas and putting them into a conventionally interesting story, but by doing that it sacrifices some of the greatest elements of the manga and in the end falls extremely short of the original in every way. That is one weird, fascinating, visionary story!

  • @brianlinden3042
    @brianlinden3042 2 роки тому +3

    "Neal Stephenson is just going to end a story when he feels like it..." *eyes Seveneves nervously*

  • @ANunes06
    @ANunes06 2 роки тому +2

    Now I want to run SnowCrash through an algorithm that converts everything to past tense and see if it is even better.

  • @jnm92
    @jnm92 2 роки тому +3

    I read this book recently and was flabbergasted that more people weren't talking about it with the recent obsession with metaverse etc. Cool that the word 'avatar' we use in videogames comes from this book.

  • @trogdoar149
    @trogdoar149 2 роки тому +3

    "truly this book is... oh shit" sums up Snow Crash pretty well lol.

  • @orvilpym
    @orvilpym 2 роки тому +13

    Fascinating... of all the cool things in this weird book, I love the conversations with the librarian most. I mean, Uncle Enzo is cool, YT is of course great, Raven is an awesome "villain", the adventures on the raft are gripping, the entire heist nature of getting the drug from the distributers and the posse of deeply bizarre people behind that heist, the world-building itself, all of it is fun, but especially on re-reads (or rather re-listens as an audiobook), I enjoy the conversations with the librarian and the "detective" work of Hiro trying to figure out the nature of the virus and "L. Ron Hubbard"'s plan the most by far!
    (As to the unsettling sexualization of YT, yeah, I think there is a little bit of genuine 90s unenlightended creepy titillation in there, but given the ending of YT's arc, and also given her very clear thoughts and agency on everything, from the backstory with Roadkill to even the problematic encounter with Raven, I think the book manages to scrape by on the side of the angels. In the end it is clear that as far as the world sexualizes her, while she is a curious teenage girl, she is clearly barely interested in men in a sexual way, and when she is, it is only on her own terms. In the end, all the other relationships - to her mother, to Fido, to her job, to Enzo, and even to Hiro [who thankfully has zero interest in her in any creepy way] - are the ones that determine her character. And she is such a badass, that I for one am willing to forgive the slight missteps.)
    All other structural flaws the books has (personally I find the adventures in the second act leading up the trip onto the raft the bit where the tension sags the most) are more than balanced out by the sheer incredible amount of fascinating ideas, characters, and scenes. Few books are this densely entertaining.

    • @orvilpym
      @orvilpym 2 роки тому

      Speaking of protagonist names... I wonder... given what "YT" means (in-world)... is she supposed to be Stephenson's stand-in? It is what the name would indicate, but otherwise unlikely - if anything one would expect Hiro to be closer to Stephenson's self-image (even disregarding the gender). Or is it meant to be *the* reader POV character? Most other names are really obvious: Hiro Protagonist, of course, but also Uncle Enzo, Mister Lee, L. Bob Rife, Raven... all of these names are almost handles for a type rather than real names for individuals. It stands to reason that YT would be equally as obvious. But I was never really sure what her name is supposed to signify.

    • @mitcharcher7528
      @mitcharcher7528 2 роки тому +1

      YT means “Yours Truly” so it’s anonymity without being anonymous, so to speak. She revealed it when she got arrested towards the beginning of the story. One of the “cops” is harassing her about the name and she thinks something like, “Actually it meant Yours Truly, but she wasn’t going to tell him that.”

    • @orvilpym
      @orvilpym 2 роки тому

      @@mitcharcher7528 Yeah, I got what it means in-world. I am just wondering, why Stephenson picked that name for her. Names are really blatant in the novel: Mister Lee is, like, the most stereotypical Anglicized East-Asian name, and Mister Lee hides behind an offensively clichéd persona. L. Bob Strife is a play on L. Ron Hubbard, and tells us, that he doesn't actually believe in his made up religion but uses it only to manipulate others for his own megalomanical power. A raven symbolizes both death and memory, two traits that really determine Raven's character. (Also, Raven ist about the most edgelord name you can pick, and he may well be one of the edgiest characters in fiction.) So names, especially the "weirder" ones, seem to be extremely symbolic. "Yours truly" is normally a phrase you put before your name when signing a letter, in the vein of "sincerely yours" or "I remain your friend..." and basically just means that the letter is honest and well-meaning, but really mostly means "this was written by...". I am not sure about your interpretation of "anonymity without being anonymous", but even if, why would Stephenson name YT that? (Like I said, I dislike my own instictive reading of YT as Stephenson's avatar, so to speak, as much, as it doesn't seem to fit her at all.)

    • @robertg420
      @robertg420 11 місяців тому

      Imagine white knighting for a fictional character

    • @orvilpym
      @orvilpym 11 місяців тому

      @@robertg420 What do you mean?

  • @ANunes06
    @ANunes06 2 роки тому +1

    While opening with High Stakes Pizza Delivery is an *insane* choice, it is *more insane* that this pays off in the last act of the narrative.

  • @PsychicMikeTarot
    @PsychicMikeTarot Рік тому +1

    Read that book when it first came out back in the 90's I was a cyberpunk scifi addict back in my early 20's. Now that I am in my early 50's I am a DoorDash driver and I can't help but think of myself as The Deliverator whenever I go out to do my deliveries, I guess the book had an effect on me as I am also a martial artist and a somewhat capable coder. Although I don't carry a kata with me, I do own a sword. I am such a nerd. Great review by the way!

  • @seebadd2968
    @seebadd2968 2 роки тому +11

    Snow Crash is definitely a favorite of mine. I too noticed the third person present tense, but always seem to forget it once I'm far enough along in the book. But damn, THAT infodump sccene.... scenes?.... it always pulls me out just a little. I feel like the subject matter, and the mystery at the heart of the novel, keep me from ever being fully pulled out by the info dump though.
    It definitely doesn't absolve the info dump fully to me. But damn, Stephenson is one of those rare authors that I feel like handles them fairly alright. As long as it's interesting topically I'll read whatever info dump Stephenson puts in there, lol.

    • @thummumcrysanth
      @thummumcrysanth 2 роки тому

      The right way to eat Captain Crunch! (Cryptonomicon)

    • @eldrago19
      @eldrago19 2 роки тому

      For my two pennies, the infodumps are more enjoyable and interesting than the rest of the book.

  • @Glokta4
    @Glokta4 2 роки тому +5

    Yay, another book review! I'm not sure this book is in my interest, but book review videos are what brought me to the channel and are still my favorite content. Thank you!

  • @Grisha__
    @Grisha__ 2 роки тому +1

    I like how the editing clearly went up a notch in this video. Great work gobbo

  • @pjbutton3396
    @pjbutton3396 Рік тому +1

    So glad I found this channel! I literally just finished reading Snow Crash a few minutes ago. The first time I heard about it was in Tim Roger’s Action Button Review of Cyberpunk 2077. This book fucking rocks, full stop! The moment I fell in love was when it described the pigs (oops, police officers) that wear dinner plate sized badges that read, “DIAL 1-800-THE-COPS. ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS.” This was my first time reading classic cyberpunk literature. I’ve seen Blade Runner, Blade Runner 2049, and the original Ghost in the Shell, but the tonal whiplash of this book was exhilarating. Stephenson is a vocabulary maximalist and I loved it. How well his description of the metaverse has aged is obviously impressive, but for me the scenes of reality are just as if not more enthralling.
    Third person present tense doesn’t bother me at all, and I actually found the info dump intensely fascinating. However, I’m also a history dweeb 🤓

  • @OB.x
    @OB.x 3 місяці тому +1

    Literally just finished it and it creeps me out how accurate the Librarian is to basically basic AI rn.

  • @joeshmoe001100
    @joeshmoe001100 2 роки тому +4

    I think the info dumping would have been more interesting when the book first came out. The internet, VR, 3D graphics, and a lot of other technical things the book relies on weren't understood by most people. Nowadays, talking about clipping 3D models could be tedious, but back then it may have been more engaging.

  • @eliduncan4630
    @eliduncan4630 6 місяців тому +2

    I agree with the pulled back ending. I don't think it nihilism to not expect the overall world problems being solved in one book. More was addressed in the diamond age anyway but realistically if you want to solve the great problems in this world ( take that either way you want to) you're going to need to do the work in incremental steps

  • @markmurillo3570
    @markmurillo3570 Рік тому

    Great video!

  • @wildeskompositum9556
    @wildeskompositum9556 2 роки тому +1

    Thanks for the insight!

  • @kredonystus7768
    @kredonystus7768 2 роки тому +1

    "Conversations I've had with Siri"
    It's creepy how you have phrased that.

  • @42RisingSun
    @42RisingSun 2 роки тому +3

    Reamde is a silly action movie. Cryptonomicon is probably my favorite but it's mostly WW2 codebreaking and not really heavy Sci-Fi. Seveneves was awesome if you like harder Sci-Fi stories, surviving in space, and humanity banding together. Can't wait for your thoughts on Berserk.

    • @EricMcLuen
      @EricMcLuen 2 роки тому

      Cryptonomicon was a tough read for me as it was a drastic switch from Snow Crash. I also had some issues with his writing style.
      But have Anathem to try and picked up Quicksilve just because the names sounded familiar which I find intriguing.

  • @maddiemn623
    @maddiemn623 2 роки тому +3

    Loved this review!! Would 100% recommend Seveneves - my favorite NS by far, awesome hard scifi and spectacular worldbuilding

  • @safinan8008
    @safinan8008 2 роки тому +1

    Good luck 😉 with ur channel and life too!!! Always watch ur videos!! 🎼📝🎬

  • @dianagarland4907
    @dianagarland4907 2 роки тому

    I read this back in the early 90's and loved it. I think that novel and Gibson's Neuromancer are still two of my favorite books.

  • @emmanuelboakye1124
    @emmanuelboakye1124 2 роки тому

    Looking forward to reading this book👍👍

  • @winglessrayven4294
    @winglessrayven4294 2 роки тому

    Glad you got around to reviewing this book, I think I sent it to you like 2 or 3 years ago. Good review.

  • @TheBrightaurora
    @TheBrightaurora 2 роки тому +3

    For another great cyberpunk dystopia you should watch Serial Experiments Lain. A bit slow and it requires some investment but it's completely worth it.

  • @thelordz33
    @thelordz33 2 роки тому

    I love this book. Me and my dad listened to an audio book version while driving across the country

  • @thekmhful
    @thekmhful 2 роки тому +1

    thank you for saving me the time!

  • @vix86
    @vix86 2 роки тому +2

    Glad to hear you finally got around to this book. It's been years since I read it, but the scene I still remember best from that book is the chapter with the perspective shift to the AI Security Dog. It had that weird mix of both things real dogs do and the mix of "I could see computers/bots doing that." Ex: [Security Robot] Dogs howling out in ultrasonic frequencies to alert other cyberbot dogs that "shits going down, be on alert!" left me laughing and scratching my chin in contemplation.

    • @vederianl9723
      @vederianl9723 2 роки тому

      They are cyborg dogs after all. Not pure AI. I'm pretty sure one of them recognizes YT.

  • @mndrew1
    @mndrew1 2 роки тому +12

    Likely it's just the I.T. professional in me but Cryptonomicon is my favorite Stephenson book by a good bit. On the other hand, I finished the first book of the System of the World series and was baffled; it was interesting and well written, but it had no plot; it went nowhere and had no indication of what it was trying to get to eventually.

    • @tobyyasutake9094
      @tobyyasutake9094 2 роки тому +1

      System of the World is Cryptonomicon, except it has 20% more to say, and says it in 300% more words.

    • @KibiHofmann
      @KibiHofmann 2 роки тому +2

      For me, the story of Cryptonomicon was good, but I got addicted to all the side-essays like a description of how to eat Cap'n Crunch, the reasons Randy liked nerd dentists, the guy who discovered his wife has a fetish for heirloom furniture....so, the the books in System of the World more or less said "screw it: let's just let loose with the side-essays" .The story is weak, but the journey is so much fun

    • @tobyyasutake9094
      @tobyyasutake9094 2 роки тому

      @@KibiHofmann yeah. It does have a thesis, but if you aren’t really into journey before destination then the baroque cycle really isn’t for you.

    • @KibiHofmann
      @KibiHofmann 2 роки тому

      @@tobyyasutake9094 yes, the Baroque Cycle, why was I blocking on the name? I loved it - I have it in hardback, which is rare for me, but the style made me want it in an olde-worlde type format

  • @BreakingStubad
    @BreakingStubad 2 роки тому

    Loved this book!

  • @jamesmalik3355
    @jamesmalik3355 2 роки тому +12

    I quite hated the characters when I read this years ago but I couldn't stop reading because of the world it crafted

  • @jmhaces
    @jmhaces 2 роки тому +1

    This book was way ahead of its time, but I always thought The Diamond Age was even better.

  • @Lancaerie
    @Lancaerie 2 роки тому

    You got me excited to read this!
    As a suggestion - Seveneves by Neal Stephenson! Re-read it twice and I love it!

  • @NotSoNoob19
    @NotSoNoob19 2 роки тому

    I'll add that to my tbr

  • @sakecarp
    @sakecarp 2 роки тому

    I really enjoyed this video, the critique to skit ratio was just right imo

  • @etherscapes2186
    @etherscapes2186 Рік тому

    Subscribed because of the intro sketch.

  • @marcweber8509
    @marcweber8509 2 роки тому +1

    He said in an interview with Lex Friedman, that Snow Crash is making fun of cyberpunk

  • @joanqpublic592
    @joanqpublic592 Рік тому +1

    YT is the coolest character ever. She's in Diamond Age too.

  • @lentrax2991
    @lentrax2991 2 роки тому +1

    I remember reading this in high school and saying "Wow, this was pretty amazing. Good thing we don't have to worry about this ever happening."
    Me rereading this in my mid-thirties. "Oh. *shit*."

  • @dhruvadange4778
    @dhruvadange4778 2 роки тому

    Yay... My favourite book getting a review

  • @virtualbfox
    @virtualbfox 2 роки тому +1

    If you are getting into the cyberpunk canon, also get True Names by Vinge. Written 11 years before but it started it all

  • @Kriseaf
    @Kriseaf 2 роки тому

    This was actually an assigned reading for me in English 102! Definitely the best required reading I've ever had. I read it in 2010 and had no idea it had been published WAAAAY back in 1992, the speculative writing and the world are eerily familiar to ours.

  • @LocklanStareyes
    @LocklanStareyes 2 роки тому

    I really love that new book cover. And I’m a sucker for katanas.

  • @AndrewWatsonChangingWay
    @AndrewWatsonChangingWay 2 роки тому +2

    (1) I loved Snow Crash. (2) It's a short story by NS standards.

  • @sothatsdevintart2562
    @sothatsdevintart2562 2 роки тому +1

    Hearing about how Facebook rebranding itself into Meta as a way to directly admit it’s influence which apparently condemned the concept in the first place. Makes me want to write a short story where an author writes a dystopian novel about the dangers of world ending technology, is warned by another author to not do it, publishes it anyway, and then sees the next generation of tech geniuses make the technology and destroy the world.

  • @psychochild123
    @psychochild123 2 роки тому

    I literally bought Snow Crash a little over a week before this came out and began reading it last night. I cant watch the whole thing until I'm finished, but I am excited. I want to see how I feel about this book my own since it is my first step into Sci-fi.

  • @kari9085
    @kari9085 2 роки тому +1

    My dog's name is Hiro Protagonist. My other dog is Pips. Both very good boys.

  • @miandagny
    @miandagny 2 роки тому +1

    I've only read The Diamond Age from him, I should probably check this one out since its the work of his I hear about most.

  • @templeofthesmilingjackalop9860
    @templeofthesmilingjackalop9860 2 роки тому

    That's funny, the present tense prose is part of what I love about this book. If anything I wish it would catch on more.

  • @ANunes06
    @ANunes06 2 роки тому +1

    Everyone: I can't believe the main character's name is Hiro Protagonist!
    Me: YT was actually the protagonist. And her name is just as ridiculous and perfect.

  • @exponentialknowledge
    @exponentialknowledge Рік тому

    This is one of my favorite books. Neal Stephenson is great

  • @tylerdurham6091
    @tylerdurham6091 2 роки тому

    This is a good review. I personally didn't mind the infondump in the middle because it was fascinating info, but I can see,hownit mihht be an issue for others. I recommend reading Diamond Age at some point it's a really fun novel and I think you'd get a kick out of it

  • @justanothervoice2538
    @justanothervoice2538 2 роки тому +1

    This book is now at the top of my reading list! I feel like my book idea is just a copy of it.

  • @stpnwlf9
    @stpnwlf9 2 роки тому +1

    I'm a big Stephenson fan. Others have suggested Cryptonomicon which I would endorse, as well. If you have any familiarity with massively multiplayer online games such as World of Warcraft, you would find Reamde fascinating. I was blown away by the characters and the incredible global scope of that novel. Regarding POV - I admit 3rd person present tense is a bit jarring to read. What has been your take on 1st person present tense? For me, that is actually a storytelling voice that is more accessible.

  • @fernandoreyes1025
    @fernandoreyes1025 Рік тому +1

    Just finished this today and after getting past the third person present and the quirkiness of the naming etc I really enjoyed most of the story. The info dumps with the librarian get ROUGH, and the ending was a bit unsatisfactory for me, but still a solid book.
    You should make a video recommending Cyberpunk books based on all the ones you’ve read for your research!

  • @CorprealFale
    @CorprealFale 2 роки тому

    About the tense used, took about 10 minutes for me to get used to it. After that it was a stylistic choice I enjoyed.

  • @Maddmax26
    @Maddmax26 2 роки тому

    Glad you finally read the book I suggested a year+ ago!
    As for the ending; It's sudden ending didn't bother me. It left me wanting a sequel.
    Story wise, how it was written, I probably appreciated it more for the world building. That large info dump? Loved it, but I'm weird that way.

  • @booksandocha
    @booksandocha 2 роки тому

    I think this is pretty much what I remember from reading Snow Crash quite a long time ago: Hiro, YT, the badass dude hooked up to a nuclear bomb, the pizza wars and I think there was some high-speed rollerskating (or maybe hoverskating?). I'm sure there was a plot, but I have no idea what it might have been.

  • @cloudbloom
    @cloudbloom 2 роки тому

    This was the first cyberpunk novel I read when I was 14 and it blew me away, the sarcasm, cynicism and humor in it is so good

  • @fatiguedwalri612
    @fatiguedwalri612 2 роки тому

    what you were talking about with the ending just ENDING reminds me of a LOT or older movies. like 70s and older just cut to black without any post climax

  • @kreskova1
    @kreskova1 2 роки тому

    I looooove your book reviews. Such a fun way to discover new books! Thank you Daniel!

  • @PsychoholicSlag83
    @PsychoholicSlag83 2 роки тому

    My second favorite book. Now I wanna read it for the third time

  • @dancingphycisisthabibi8575
    @dancingphycisisthabibi8575 2 роки тому

    It's been long time since I read this book. But I remember liking this book alot. it had such a good grasp on virtual reality and people connected in internet. And I want to use Reason in some scifi DnD game someday.
    I kind of understand dislike towards the 3rd person present tense. But I got used to it quickly myself and I liked it. I thought it made the world perhaps grittier? Like in my mind the story is told by someone sitting in the shadows with voice destroyed by chain-smoking for 20 years.

  • @CharalamposKoundourakis
    @CharalamposKoundourakis 2 роки тому

    Loved the video. Random question Daniel, have you read SEVENeves at all?

  • @aviewillow
    @aviewillow 2 роки тому

    I have only read it once and as you said the infodumping bothered you more on a second read so maybe it will for me too. But I think the infodumping was my favorite part of Hiro's side of the story! I think I gave it an 8/10 when I made a review of it. The near-parody, dry, kind of sarcastic tone of it was really fun! Funny enough though . . . I never noticed it was present tense. I literally had to grab my copy and check because that had never occured to me to think about.

  • @5210smile
    @5210smile 2 роки тому

    Now it feels like my nails are popping off, thanks.

  • @jimsbooksreadingandstuff
    @jimsbooksreadingandstuff 2 роки тому +1

    Snow Crash was a great influence on Second Life.

  • @alison4dice
    @alison4dice 2 роки тому

    John Scalzi's recent book Kaiju Preservation Society references this novel a lot, so I've been curious about it. Cyberpunk isn't always appealing to me, but I'm going to check it out.

  • @aaronbecker7026
    @aaronbecker7026 Рік тому

    The present tense narration makes it seem more active. To me, it sort of takes place like a film in my mind. It might bother me if all literature used this device, but I don't mind it at all in Snow Crash. I think it's rather effective for that story.

  • @splifftachyon4420
    @splifftachyon4420 Рік тому

    I read this in the early 90s shortly after it came out. Since I had been a pizza delivery guy during the 30-minutes or its free era, I could relate to the edginess of it all...at the time, I was also getting into virtual reality, early internet stuff, cyberpunk and cyberpsychedelia and also I had a fascination with Sumerian mythology. Oh, and I'd read Julian Jaynes' 'The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind' in university, which was both very influential on me and Stephenson. So, as you can imagine, Snow Crash was pretty much THE perfect novel for me! And of course, I absolutely loved it, and it remains one of my all-time favourites to this day.

  • @GoldenKaos
    @GoldenKaos 2 роки тому

    Man, I never even noticed it was in 3rd person present. I think it really works tbh

  • @amuk3
    @amuk3 2 роки тому

    You should absolutely read The Diamond Age which is a sort of sequel (it's set in the same world and when you figure out which character is in both books, you win a (virtual) kewpie doll). He's one of my two favorite living authors and I think it's his best book. It will also show you an early step along Stephenson's path toward significant improvement as an author on info dumping. Snow Crash definitely has an issue on that (it's my biggest complaint with the book) but he does get better and better at delivering information without pages and pages of uninterrupted didactacism.

  • @aerynmusick4548
    @aerynmusick4548 2 роки тому

    I love this book SO MUCH. It’s super fun but not fluff reading. I need to revisit it.

    • @aerynmusick4548
      @aerynmusick4548 2 роки тому

      Your comments about the ending make me realize that I just vastly prefer if a piece of media leaves me with unanswered questions to ponder.

  • @connorschaffer3573
    @connorschaffer3573 2 роки тому

    I love the religious talk within the book, that was my favorite part

  • @mplovecraft
    @mplovecraft 2 роки тому

    Read it back in '99. I mostly remember it for the needle.

  • @UnreasonableOpinions
    @UnreasonableOpinions Рік тому

    Of all the books about not inventing the Torment Nexus this one has had all of its Torment Nexuses invented the hardest,

  • @everangel95
    @everangel95 2 роки тому

    Highly recommend Seveneves, it is my favorite sci-fi (although not very cyberpunk in comparison to his other works). I listened to the 30 hour audiobook in two days. Heavy Andy weir vibes.

  • @Pencliff
    @Pencliff 2 роки тому

    I've heard a lot about the book but I've never read but really think I should after this
    Just got to prepare my brain for nails on chalkboard tense

  • @Sir_Francis
    @Sir_Francis 2 роки тому

    He gives the book high praise, because deep down, he knows it's best to Listen to Reason...

  • @mvprindle
    @mvprindle 2 роки тому +1

    More book reviews please 😀

  • @seanpoore2428
    @seanpoore2428 2 роки тому +1

    Omg wait I did start this book and I completely forgot, only remembered after hearing the name.......'Hero Protagonist '......🤣

  • @Xizax41325
    @Xizax41325 7 місяців тому

    Every time I hear this is getting an adaption I always wonder how they will deal with the library portion.

  • @colinmetzger6755
    @colinmetzger6755 2 роки тому

    I read this about 5 years ago and had assumed it was a fairly new book. Had to look up the publishing date during the video. Holy crap he nailed so much about that was to come 30 years ago.