[CLUE-Talk] Stephenson's Final Baroque Cycle Volume out on the 21st.

[Jed S. Baer]

On Fri, 17 Sep 2004 19:38:47 -0600
Collins Richey <crichey at gmail.com> wrote:

> > Yes, "The System of the World" will be released on the 21st. Tattered
> > Cover says they'll have it.
> 
> I've obviously been hiding in a cave too long. What kind of a book is
> this?

Historical fiction. Masterfully done. To get into it, though, you really
have to start with "Cryptonomicon". Cryptonomicon is a parallel story, set
in both WWII and the present day, with story lines that relate to each
other. "The System of the World" is the last in a trilogy called "The
Baroque Cycle", which is a prequel to Cryptonomicon, and is set in 17th
Century and later England, Europe, and America. Again, multiple stories,
but they aren't as distinct as the two in Cryptonomicon. The first of the
trilogy, "Quicksilver", is 915 pages in hardback. Cryptonomicon isn't
short either.

Part of what makes this whole series so engaging in Stephenson's
remarkable depth in his treatment of the various subjects he covers.
Included are cryptography, economics, physics, political intrique. I think
Stephenson surpasses Orson Scott Card, and coming from me, that's saying a
lot.

If you'd prefer to give Stephenson a try, without wading into this
particular set of books, I suggest "Snow Crash" or "Zodiac", although
neither of them (they are earlier works) compares to Cryptonomicon or The
Baroque Cycle. Still good reading, though, and shorter.

jed
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