Some Remarks: Essays and Other Writing [9780062024442]

Overview

#1 New York Times bestselling author Neal Stephenson is, quite simply, one of the best and most respected writers alive. He’s taken sf to places it’s never been (Snow Crash, Anathem). He’s reinvented the historical novel (The Baroque Cycle), the international thriller (Reamde), and both at the same time (Cryptonomicon).

Now he treats his legion of fans to Some Remarks, an enthralling collection of essays and journalism—Stephenson’s first nonfiction work since his long essay on technology, In the Beginning…Was the Command Line, more than a decade ago—as well as new and previously published short writings both fiction and non.

Some Remarks is a magnificent showcase of a brilliantly inventive mind and talent, as he discourses on everything from the history of science with Sir Isaac Newton to the geek culture of Star Wars.

This essential nonfiction collection delivers a master class in the connections between history, technology, and society:

• Science and Technology: A mind-bending exploration of the metaphysics of Newton and Leibniz, and a deep dive into the epic, globe-spanning construction of the world’s longest fiber-optic cable.
• The Hacker Mindset: Stephenson’s signature analysis of geekdom, from the cultural impact of Star Wars to a classic interview where he explains the divide between literary and “Beowulf” writers.
• Innovation and Its Enemies: A bracing look at why our society suffers from “Innovation Starvation,” and a surprisingly compelling argument for why your office chair might be the most dangerous thing you own.
• Classic Short Fiction: Includes two seminal cyberpunk stories, “Spew” and “The Great Simoleon Caper,” showcasing the imaginative power that cemented Stephenson as a giant of the genre.