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Okay, so I'm about half way through Anathem, and I have to dump some stuff here.
Okay, so reading this is like being stuck behind a tractor trailer at a stoplight. One which is carrying a mansion to a new location. It takes a long time to get moving, but don't get in its way once it starts, because it can't stop either. Seriously...the first third of the book? It feels like nothing happens. A lot does, but it's all world building and character introduction, except it's very provincial and limited in its scope. You see what the avout see, which is the inside of their math. The writing is solid and engaging...it's just slow to get moving.
Okay, I do have to give Stephenson a ton of shit over the whole 'made up name' bullshyt. If it's a fucking cell phone, CALL it a fucking cell phone. And a TV? It's a fucking TV. And a camcorder is a camcorder. I understand that you have some things here that have no direct analog, and using a new word for those concepts and things is expected and fine. Using made up words for shit that exists? Pretentious and annoying. Don't do it again.
The Ita. The I.T. A*. Significant by its absence is the word administrator in the list of possible expansions of the A given in the text. And the Ita that we have along for our adventure? Samman. SA man. The Itas are systems admins. Even in fictional other worlds, the end users hate and fear us, no one knows what we know, and everyone thinks the job we do is voodoo. Thanks Neal.
The avout are dedicated ascetics who isolate themselves from the world and devote their lives to thinking. They eschew technology as well, despite being among the few who understand the workings and principles upon which it is based. They're big into basic science...applied science and engineering happens outside using what they've figured out, except in discrete settings and for dedicated purpose within their society.
Once our hero, Erasmas starts moving around his world, Stephenson does something very cool. He changes the dominant religion and ethnicity out from under our protagonist. It's like, in a world of multiple billions of people with distinct histories and cultures from various climates and geographical zones, they'll have totally different creation myths and worldviews or something. It's crazy talk!
Once the plot gets up and running, don't blink.
Okay, so reading this is like being stuck behind a tractor trailer at a stoplight. One which is carrying a mansion to a new location. It takes a long time to get moving, but don't get in its way once it starts, because it can't stop either. Seriously...the first third of the book? It feels like nothing happens. A lot does, but it's all world building and character introduction, except it's very provincial and limited in its scope. You see what the avout see, which is the inside of their math. The writing is solid and engaging...it's just slow to get moving.
Okay, I do have to give Stephenson a ton of shit over the whole 'made up name' bullshyt. If it's a fucking cell phone, CALL it a fucking cell phone. And a TV? It's a fucking TV. And a camcorder is a camcorder. I understand that you have some things here that have no direct analog, and using a new word for those concepts and things is expected and fine. Using made up words for shit that exists? Pretentious and annoying. Don't do it again.
The Ita. The I.T. A*. Significant by its absence is the word administrator in the list of possible expansions of the A given in the text. And the Ita that we have along for our adventure? Samman. SA man. The Itas are systems admins. Even in fictional other worlds, the end users hate and fear us, no one knows what we know, and everyone thinks the job we do is voodoo. Thanks Neal.
The avout are dedicated ascetics who isolate themselves from the world and devote their lives to thinking. They eschew technology as well, despite being among the few who understand the workings and principles upon which it is based. They're big into basic science...applied science and engineering happens outside using what they've figured out, except in discrete settings and for dedicated purpose within their society.
Once our hero, Erasmas starts moving around his world, Stephenson does something very cool. He changes the dominant religion and ethnicity out from under our protagonist. It's like, in a world of multiple billions of people with distinct histories and cultures from various climates and geographical zones, they'll have totally different creation myths and worldviews or something. It's crazy talk!
Once the plot gets up and running, don't blink.
