Sunday, July 30, 2006

Sci-fi.

Over on Katy's blog, Macon, husband of Kellsey, recommended The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson for sci-fi beginners. I used to enjoy sci-fi back in the day. Always meant to read it again but never did. I guess I've read fantasy--I've read lots of Stephen Lawhead, and I do love Lewis' space trilogy, which is sort of sci-fi-ish..... Probably more fantasy-ish.

Anyway, I love The Diamond Age. Set in a world where nanotechnology is fully developed and integrated into culture.....I'm not finished with it yet. I am still recovering from shock that as Nell finishes her training through the primer and Victorian education, she's left New Atlantis, crossed over into China, and is working in a......brothel???????!!! I thought she was going to save the world.

Comments:
I've always enjoyed the first two-thirds of this book more than the last third. I think I like the character development better than the "now she's developed, what will she do?" aspect.
 
If I recall correctly (It's been a while since reading it), by the end of the book, I was so interested in the socio-polital world that Stephenson created that this made up for disappointments in the character arc.

And I'd totally forgotten about the brothel thing. Sorry about that. :-)

Also, this reminds me that in all of his books (all of which I've really enjoyed) there is a vein of overt sexuality that I find unnecessary and rather juvenile.
 
oh. I really wasn't that offended by the brothel, more disappointed that the character ended up there--it didn't seem like something she would do.....actually, as I continued reading I realized that she didn't stay there long. I loved the book--for the reasons you mentioned---trying to figure out what the world was like politically, etc. Thanks for the rec!!!
 
Post a Comment



<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?