Comments on: Neal Stephenson's Some Remarks, a remarkable essay collection

By: YourMessageHere

YourMessageHere — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 11:30:00 +0000

I’m sympathetic to you to a point – changing facts for no reason at all is something that never fails to infuriate me (favourite example: Die Hard 2, with “This is a Glock Seven. It’s a porcelain gun made in Germany, and it can pass through a metal detector”. Wrong in every possible way, for no reason at all). However there’s a difference between that and coherently altering something much more complex in order to hang a narrative on it; it’s a piece of writerly craft as valid as building a character or setting. Basically, you HAVE to be able to alter facts for the sake of fiction, otherwise all fiction would include nothing real at all.

Similarly, maybe you found yourself wondering what of Snow Crash was research and what he created, but ultimately, why does it matter? Whether it’s real or not, and whether you later look it up or not, the story remains what it is: a story, created for entertainment. If it inspires you to go and learn about Sumerian mythology, that’s great; I really don’t think taking fiction as fact is particularly sensible, though.

By: jijitsu

jijitsu — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 07:04:00 +0000

The use of Sumerian myth in Snow Crash was creative and entertaining. I had never read anything like it before or since…

By: Oren Beck

Oren Beck — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 06:06:00 +0000

Writers are the #deity of all that they incarnate Ab Nihilio – to a point. There’s a need for using references external to the created realms or the reader’s learning curve detracts from enjoyment. The genius that Neil shows is in expanding our horizons, by his references being teasers to do our own research.

That essay on CLI stands as a touchstone work on it’s own merit.

By: Amelia_G

Amelia_G — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 05:29:00 +0000

If we knew more history facts, we wouldn’t have to wonder when reading stories where people play with it. But I was led into majoring in history by reading fiction (Eco). My redneck school district had only one history class, to retain/beschäftigen a basketball coach.

By: Amelia_G

Amelia_G — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 05:24:00 +0000

Great way of putting that. I don’t have any answers, but I’d lerv to listen to people chat who are working out answers to such historian questions. In “Foucault’s Pendulum,” for example, Umberto Eco kind of touched on the way conspiracy theorists combine improv’s “yes and” with history writing. One clue is that the limited number of historical facts you have are *all relevant*.
Looking forward to this essay collection! I enjoyed Gibson’s and Rucker’s recent nonfiction, so thank you BB yet again.

By: Marky

Marky — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 05:09:00 +0000

Never understood why “Mother Earth Mother Board” wasn’t reprinted as a book. It’s long enough, and I’m sure Neil had a few more pictures to add.

By: David Thomson

David Thomson — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 23:50:00 +0000

The undersea cable article was appened to the digital version of Cryptonomicon I bought for the Kindle a few months ago.

By: Scott Robinson

Scott Robinson — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 19:16:00 +0000

Any DRM-free digital options for purchase?

By: Avram Grumer

Avram Grumer — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 19:14:00 +0000

I could use a Stephenson essay on Leibniz’s metaphysics. I did some reading on it when Leibniz showed up in The Baroque Cycle, and man, I can’t see how that whole “windowless monads” thing could possibly have seemed like a good idea.

By: Richard Haven

Richard Haven — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 19:09:00 +0000

How on earth can an on-demand product be out of stock? They ran out of blanks?

By: Alexander Zwissler

Alexander Zwissler — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 16:33:00 +0000

Thanks Cory …also available on Audible.com for those who use it.

By: EggyToast

EggyToast — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 15:18:00 +0000

I find Stephenson’s use of discursive, non-fiction elements frustrating since he often edits/modifies them to fit his narrative. For comparison, Junot Diaz’s “…Oscar Wao” is significantly non-fiction, telling the story of Trujillo and the DR, but it doesn’t alter facts for the sake of fiction.

A lot of Stephenson’s longer uses of non-fiction remind me of the climactic scene in Inglourious Basterds, only it’s not as obvious what the change is. His digressions into Sumerian history in Snow Crash left me wondering “OK, what did he research and what did he make up?” I lost trust in him for the non-fiction elements (which was fine since the book ended entirely in fiction-space), but I don’t like the feeling of not trusting an author. It’s why I often avoid memoirs or biographies (especially biographies of unfamous or semi-famous people).

By: Michael Wiik

Michael Wiik — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:59:00 +0000

Just an fyi, In the Beginning Was the Command Line is available free and legal here http://www.cryptonomicon.com/beginning.html

By: MrJM

MrJM — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:53:00 +0000

a kind of Moby-Dick for undersea cabling

“To the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee.”

By: MrJM

MrJM — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:51:00 +0000

Standard journalistic device.

By: Cory Doctorow

Cory Doctorow — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:51:00 +0000

Derp! Thanks

By: ROSSINDETROIT

ROSSINDETROIT — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:44:00 +0000

Ordered on sight. Like Charles Stross, Stephenson includes actual science and tech in his novels where lots of authors substitute hand waving and glossed over electrical near-magic without going into the practical issues. I can’t wait to read these essays. Thanks for the recommendation, Cory.

By: Michael Wiik

Michael Wiik — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:35:00 +0000

Lots of people use TK.

By: Michael Wiik

Michael Wiik — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:34:00 +0000

I remember 199TK well.

By: Andrew Clark

Andrew Clark — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:34:00 +0000

Cory, a few years ago I’d adopted your “tk” from “Writing in the Age of Distraction” and I teach it to my students. Amused to see one of them slip through.

By: royaltrux

royaltrux — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:33:00 +0000

Amazon is currently reporting that the “Brilliance audio MP3CD unabridged audiobook” is temporarily out of stock, which is kind of amusing.