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Lemmy World Rules

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Mini, spoiler free review of Reamde, by Neal Stephenson (lemmy.ca)

submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) by AFKBRBChocolate@lemmy.ca to c/sciencefiction@lemmy.world

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Zula has taken a job at a company responsible for a globally popular video game, founded by her billionaire uncle. Her boyfriend Peter has entered into an illegal transaction with someone he doesn't realize is connected to the Russian Mafia. Everything goes south, and Zula and Peter are abducted. What follows is a book with a giant scope. It's an international suspense thriller that takes a multitude of interesting main characters to the limits of their capabilities. Stephenson manages to linger on lots of small technical details in a way that's interesting, and while still making a real page-turner with characters we care about for over 1000 pages.

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[–] Eq0@literature.cafe 4 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Of Stephenson I read Anathem, that I adored, the Necronomicon, that I felt was definitely flat but readable, and Snow Crash, that I barely finished but did not enjoy. Do you have a comparison to his other works?

[–] lemmyng@piefed.ca 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The setting is Cryptonomicon-adjacent (specially through its sequel, Fall), the flow of the story is in between Cryptonomicon and Anathem. The book can be read standalone without having read any of his other novels.

[–] Cobrachicken@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

With Fall, however I really had to struggle to finish it. No comparison to the others imho.

[–] decolo@piefed.social 2 points 3 days ago

I had a lot of trouble getting into Snow crash but about 1/3 in it really hooked me.

[–] AFKBRBChocolate@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Hmm, other than the writing style, I don't think any of them are much like the others. I understand there's a sequel to this one, so I'm going to guess it's similar. It's difficult for me to make a recommendation for you because I really liked Snow Crash, so our tastes are different, and there's not enough to go on about what you didn't like about it and others.

I'll add that Seveneves is another of his books that I personally enjoyed, but I know other people who it didn't resonate with.

[–] Eq0@literature.cafe 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I love talking about books, so i will expand on my previous comment.

I felt Snow Crash was a pile of random ideas, half added for shock value. While Anathem developed a background world that really rooted the characters. It felt the ending was again fairly random, but the rest of the book had a fairly structured narrative and the conclusion was nicely foreshadowed. In the Cryptinomicon (errata on the previous comment) the love story was completely shoe horned and built on nothing, as was the general resolution of the present time line. The depiction of most characters was shallow.

[–] AFKBRBChocolate@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I've read Cryptinomicon and remember enjoying it, but it's been so many years that I've lost most of the details. Just read the Wikipedia page and it all seemed familiar, but it didn't all come back.

I will say that there are some legitimate complaints about Reamde. For one, there's multiple romantic pairings of characters, and that felt a little too pat to me. For another, it becomes clear that there's going to be a confluence of story streams that becomes a bit predictable - not necessarily the details or resolution, but the fact of it.

Those complaints didn't stop my enjoyment of it though.

[–] Eq0@literature.cafe 2 points 3 days ago

Thanks! I might look at it next time I have to fill up my reading pile