[CLUE-Talk] Good Books -> was Solitaire, anyone? (crypto stuff)

[Jed S. Baer]

On Tue, 16 Jul 2002 21:53:49 -0600
Sean LeBlanc <seanleblanc at attbi.com> wrote:

> > >* Jed S. Baer (thag at frii.com) wrote:
> > >>
> > >>Well, I finally finished reading Neal Stephenson's "Cryptonomicon".
> > >>Probably, most folks who find such interesting have already read it,
> > >>but if you haven't, by all means, get a copy.
> > 
> > >Unfortunately, _Snow Crash_ and _The Diamond Age_, while good books,
> > >both sort
> > >of seemed to fizzle, to my mind.  The pages just ran out.  The plot
> > >did wrap up, but it didn't feel very satisfying to me.
> > 
> > Huh.  I liked Cryptonomicon least of the three.  Very tedious and the 
> > way all the pieces fell into place seemed contrived.  But there were 
> > some good things in it.
> 
> I didn't think it was too bad, either...definitely overrated, though.  I
> liked Snow Crash a lot better.
> 
> Of all the authors that have written "cyberpunk" stuff (that I have
> read), I like Greg Bear the best. Way back, I read Blood Music and
> couldn't put it down. Not exactly cyberpunk, I suppose, but sci-fi is
> sci-fi, really. No sense in hairsplitting. :)
> 
> If you like this kind of stuff (Snow Crash, Neuromancer, etc.), I cannot
> recommend _Queen of Angels_ enough.

Well, OK, I just have to plug Orson Scott Card, especially the Ender
series, and Alvin Maker. Also Dean (er, Dan?) Simmons' Hyperion. Hyperion
also "wrapped up" too quickly for my taste, but nonetheless is fabulous
stuff. I haven't read much Bear, but thoroughly enjoyed "Songs of Earth
and Power" and "Moving Mars". Didn't he write the Eon books?

A few other faves: Paul J. McCauley - Fairyland, Marion Zimmer Bradley -
the "Avalon" series. My memory is failing me here, "The Mote in God's
Eye", "Footfalls". Sherri S. Tepper - the "Northshore" series.

jed
-- 
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