Comments | electroweak: The House with Encyclopedia Walls

electroweak

The House with Encyclopedia Walls

Mar 27, 2009 21:46

My friend Matt has a copy of The Big U by Neal Stephenson, a first edition. This is important, because the book had one printing in 1984 and then fell off the face of the Earth until it was reprinted in 2001. Matt's copy of the book was sold to him in a small, flat paper bag which fits it perfectly, like a slipcover. I was one of several people ( Read more... )

Comments 10

ksleet March 28 2009, 02:27:54 UTC

It's a shame about Neal Stephenson. Starting with The Diamond Age that guy augured into the ground so hard.

electroweak March 28 2009, 07:23:23 UTC

The post-Diamond-Age trilogy The Baroque Cycle was interesting. Huge, collapsar-dense, half-mad, but interesting. I borrowed it from the library rather than buying it, however, and I recommend that course of action to others. I don't think I'll ever re-read it.

ksleet March 28 2009, 18:32:21 UTC

After reading Cryptonomicon and being in retrospect highly disappointed at its general flabby aimlessness, I was told that he'd be writing a trilogy of even bigger books set in the 1600s based on the same stuff and it made me run away screaming. So I haven't read the Baroque Cycle.

I did pick up Anathem in a moment of temporary insanity. The ideas behind the book are theoretically intriguing but in practice the thing is completely unreadable. Er... you want my copy, by any chance?

electroweak March 29 2009, 22:02:59 UTC

My copy is currently holding down tax forms to keep the fan from blowing them away.

Thread 5

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electroweak March 28 2009, 07:19:36 UTC

Yeah, he never could figure out how to gather all his plot coupons and mail them in for an ending...

ksleet March 28 2009, 18:34:13 UTC

The Big U had a really good ending, I thought. Other than that I agree with you.

I should re-read The Big U sometime. I could have sworn I had a copy around here somewhere -- although I may be thinking of Matt's copy, which I also borrowed at one point!

alycewilson March 28 2009, 06:39:31 UTC

I found this vignette to be very intriguing. I'm wondering what brought this on. Are you reading some of his work lately?

electroweak March 28 2009, 07:21:11 UTC

I saw my (2001 reprint) copy of the book and this popped into my head. I wanted to get it down before I forgot it, which happens so often when I have a good couple of paragraphs in my head.

alycewilson March 28 2009, 12:09:34 UTC

For similar reasons, I carry a small notebook where I can jot down whatever comes to mind.