[TheForge] cryptonomocon YAK

[Ries Niemi]

On Saturday, October 2, 2004, at 09:08 AM, Schade wrote:

> Mike Spencer and others,
>
> Thanks for the comments on Cryptonomicon. I am almost
> halfway thru and enjoying the hell out of it. I'll probably try some
> of Stephensons other books (Snow Crash?) when I'm done with
> Crypto. Any other book ideas would be welcome.
>
> Bob
>
>

Bob- both Snow Crash and Diamond age are great. They are a little more 
scifi than cryptonomicon, but have the same very clever touch.

Other authors I really recomend, forgive me if you already know some of 
these, but I think these are some of the best speculative fiction in 
the last 15 years or so:

  Iain Banks- englishman who has written a series of books about a 
future society called the culture-
Use of Weapons, or Excession, or The Player of Games-  but really 
anything he writes is all very good. Against a Dark Background is 
another amazing one of his.

If you havent read any Bruce Sterling- I would recommend reading Heavy 
Weather- great book about chasing tornadoes in the future.

Absolutely essential is the William Gibson trilogy- Neuromancer, Count 
Zero, and Mona Lisa Overdrive. He started it all- practically invented 
a lot of concepts that all science fiction writers use, as well as many 
that have soaked into the culture in general.

And Gibson and Sterling collaborated on another book about the 
fictional history of computers- the Difference Engine.

Then there are two really great books by Vernor Vinge- Deepness in the 
Sky, and Fire upon the Deep- both really clever and engaging.

Neil Gaiman, who is better known for his dark adult comic books, has 
written some excellent fantastic fiction-
start with Neverwhere- it will knock your socks off. Then try American 
Gods.

Another real uncategorizable author is China Mieville- his first book, 
King Rat, is a retelling of the Pied Piper story in modern day london- 
and his next one, Perdido Street Station, is indescribable, but amazing.

Phillip Pullman wrote a trilogy ostensibly for teens that is killer- 
The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass

Then there is the australian author Sean McMullen
who wrote a great series of books about an almost medieval post 
industrial civilisation. Start with Souls in the Great Machine, about a 
human powered caluculator.


Ken Macleod is a scottish socialist modern author who writes great 
science fiction- anything by him is interesting, but start at the 
beginning with the Cassini Division.


I got lots more, but this ought to keep you going for a while.

ries