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Log in or sign up in seconds.| * English [ ][] [ ]limit my search to r/books use the following search parameters to narrow your results: subreddit:subreddit find submissions in "subreddit" author:username find submissions by "username" site:example.com find submissions from "example.com" url:text search for "text" in url selftext:text search for "text" in self post contents self:yes (or self:no) include (or exclude) self posts nsfw:yes (or nsfw:no) include (or exclude) results marked as NSFW e.g. subreddit:aww site:imgur.com dog see the search faq for details. advanced search: by author, subreddit... this post was submitted on 03 Mar 2023 2,694 points (95% upvoted) shortlink: [https://redd.it/11h6] [ ][ ] [ ]remember mereset password login new link new post Get an ad-free experience with special benefits, and directly support Reddit. get reddit premium books joinleave22,276,412 readers 4,820 users here now * Fri at 1pm, Neal Stephenson Author of Snow Crash * Check out the Weekly Recommendation Thread * Join in the Weekly "What Are You Reading?" 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Click here for the extended rules Please report any comment that does not follow the rules and remember that mods have the final say. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly Thread Calendar Day Frequency Feature Monday Weekly What Books did You Start or Finish Reading this Week?: February 27, 2023 Tuesday 1st of the New Releases: November 2022 month Wednesday Weekly Literature of the World: Literature of Romania: March 2023 Thursday Weekly Genre Discussion: Books that got you into Reading: March 2023 Friday Weekly Weekly Recommendation Thread: March 03, 2023 Sunday Weekly Weekly FAQ Thread February 26, 2023: How do I get through an uninteresting book? 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Filter by Flair AMA Weekly Thread Mod Post --------------------------------------------------------------------- + bsct + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ama Check out this week's Thread Calendar a community for 15 years MODERATORS * message the mods discussions in r/books <> X 2695 * 692 comments I am Neal Stephenson, sci-fi author, geek, and [now] sword maker - AMA 591 * 346 comments What's the obsession with relating to a book? 183 * 21 comments [gANl5TM2] Banning Words Won't Make the World More Just - The Atlantic 1483 * 39 comments [jMllK85G] Museum issues appeal to save famed "Misty of Chincoteague" ranch from being sold to developers 63 * 18 comments The Fifth Season is the most depressing and good books I've read in a while. 353 * 52 comments Finally finished Good Omens. 2998 * 44 comments [BrcLoPc5] Happy World Book Day: A struggling bookstore owner tweeted that business was so slow she couldn't pay her bills. Within days, followers came together to keep her afloat. [OC] 167 * 130 comments God, I am REALLY enjoying "IT" 9 * 8 comments I hated Daisy Jones & The Six 1213 * 221 comments Snow Crash is simultaneously one of the funniest and and most interesting SF books I've ever read. I am still trying to wrap my head around how it manages to be both hilarious and have such big (and fun) ideas about tech, the future, religion, and language. Check it out if you haven't read it yet! Welcome to Reddit, the front page of the internet. Become a Redditor and join one of thousands of communities. x 2693 2694 2695 ama 1pmI am Neal Stephenson, sci-fi author, geek, and [now] sword maker - AMA (self.books) submitted 5 hours ago by NealStephensonAMA Author - announcement PROOF: https://i.redd.it/ccckryutvela1.jpg Hi Reddit. Neal Stephenson here. I wrote a number of books including Snow Crash, The Diamond Age, Cryptonomicon, and most recently Termination Shock. Over the last five decades, I have been known for my works of speculative fiction. My writing covers a wide range of topics from science fiction to technology, mathematics, and philosophy. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Snow Crash, I have partnered with Weta Workshop &Sothebys auction house to offer a one-of-a-kind Tashi sword from the Snow Crash universe. Weta Workshop is best known for their artistry and craftsmanship for some of the world's greatest films, including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, King Kong, Blade Runner 2049, and Avatar. Link to view the sword & auction: https://www.sothebys.com/en/digital-catalogues/snow-crash Social Channels: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/nealstephenson - Website: http://www.nealstephenson.com * 692 comments * share * save * hide * report top 200 commentsshow 500 sorted by: q&a (suggested) besttopnewcontroversialoldrandomlive (beta) [ ] Want to add to the discussion? Post a comment! Create an account [-]AJRivers 178 points179 points180 points 5 hours ago (13 children) I feel like there are lots of good resources for improving one's storytelling ability, but how does an inspiring author improve their prose? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 531 points532 points533 points 4 hours ago (9 children) Stop thinking of it as art, or as something you're born with, and start thinking of it as an acquired skill like cabinet making. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]AJRivers 35 points36 points37 points 4 hours ago (2 children) Should I keep making cabinets as best as I can, or is there a good place to learn this skill? * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (2 replies) [-]raelianautopsy 14 points15 points16 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Indeed, been working on that... * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]Toucan_Lips 5 points6 points7 points 2 hours ago (1 child) Use varnish, got it. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) load more comments (3 replies) load more comments (3 replies) [-]Eire_Banshee 215 points216 points217 points 4 hours ago (43 children) The first 2/3 of seveneves is one of my favorite sci fi stories ever. Why did you write the last 1/3. Why did you not end it before that? Why were they not separate books? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 406 points407 points408 points 4 hours ago (38 children) The big picture idea was to set up a new science fictional universe that [mostly] didn't violate the laws of physics and that would provide a place to tell a lot of stories. the first 2/3 is the setup and the last 1/3 is one possible story. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]frasureclan 138 points139 points140 points 4 hours ago (10 children) Going to save this response for the next time someone complains in r/ NealStephenson. It's perhaps your most polarizing novel. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (10 replies) [-]Modredastal 106 points107 points108 points 4 hours ago (2 children) For the record, as wonderful and moving as the first two acts are, the third act of Seveneves is one of my favorite pieces of sci-fi I've ever read. It's a beautiful and fascinating imagining of a reborn Earth and Humanity. And I hope the last part of that comment is a hint at more to come in that universe... * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (2 replies) [-]kvetcha-rdt 48 points49 points50 points 4 hours ago (1 child) To follow up on this: do you plan to revisit this setting down the road? Loved Seveneves. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]Eire_Banshee 34 points35 points36 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Wow, thanks for actually responding. I thought my question may have come off as inflammatory but it was sincere. Its not so much that the second part was bad... it was just such a jarring shift in tone. Especially going in blind. Anyways, thanks for responding, love your work! * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]capt_yellowbeard 15 points16 points17 points 3 hours ago (1 child) I always suspected you were setting up for what looks like it could be a great RPG system. The classes are already there. Seveneves is tough for me. I love the whole thing but I get depressed every time I get ready to read it. Planning to read it feels like preparing to run a marathon or something. Personally I like the last part and look forward to it similarly to why I put sugar and cream in my coffee. I need the ending to counteract all the bitter despair up front. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]TexasJohny 9 points10 points11 points 4 hours ago (0 children) I, for one, would love more stories set around the second half! * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]aaronstj 8 points9 points10 points 3 hours ago (0 children) I'd like to go on record as one reader than absolutely loved the last act of Seveneves and the world you'd built. Reading it I got the impression that you had put a of thought into building a setting that you could write multiple stories in, and I absolutely hope you do. I'd love to read more novels set in the Seveneves universe. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]Zamboni_Driver 7 points8 points9 points 4 hours ago (0 children) I loved the whole thing! * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]MuonManLaserJab 3 points4 points5 points 4 hours ago (0 children) I always thought that the story was about human civilization surviving as much as it was about a specific set of characters, and from that point of view thought it was completely natural to see the actual results of human civilization surviving. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]YobaiYamete 2 points3 points4 points 2 hours ago (0 children) I love the whole thing including the last part, so there are definitely many of us who would love another book that took advantage of the setting you set up at the end * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]odahcama 2 points3 points4 points 2 hours ago (0 children) It's one of my very favorite books ever, especially for the last part!!! * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (13 replies) load more comments (4 replies) [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 296 points297 points298 points 4 hours ago (11 children) I think things are winding down and so I want to issue a blanket "you're welcome!" to everyone who wrote in just to express thanks and appreciation. It has been a pleasure. * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]EtuMeke 59 points60 points61 points 3 hours ago (1 child) Thank you for Anathem. I read 53 books last year, Anathem was the only one I read twice and the one scored the highest on my spreadsheet. You're a legend. I read all your stuff. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]Plump_Apparatus 8 points9 points10 points 3 hours ago (0 children) Thank you for the AMA Mr. Stephenson. Can't wait for the next book. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]Impriel 4 points5 points6 points 2 hours ago (0 children) Thank you for cryptonomicon. It was such an influential story on me - I think you captured pieces of real souls in that book. My other favorites were Anathem, Seveneves, and of course snow crash. But seems like every time I read cryptonomicon it gives me a new thought I've never had before. One of those stories with hidden nooks all over it that you don't see at first. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (7 replies) [-]denimcat2k 121 points122 points123 points 4 hours ago (4 children) In my opinion, William Gibson has been thought of as one of the "creators" of the Cyberpunk genre, but you have clearly expanded and perfected it. Have you ever spoken to or worked with Gibson? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 294 points295 points296 points 4 hours ago (2 children) Sure, I know Bill and we touch base from time to time, but none of what I wrote in that area would exist without his novels! He broke fresh ground, which is a rare thing. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]the_mandateofheaven 10 points11 points12 points 2 hours ago (1 child) Michael Jordan didn't invent basketball, he just played it better than almost everyone else. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) load more comments (1 reply) [-]jdfsociety 87 points88 points89 points 5 hours ago (7 children) Hi Neal, thanks for doing this! If you could live within one of the stories you've created, which would you choose? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 227 points228 points229 points 4 hours ago (5 children) Baroque Cycle, minus the diseases and parasites. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]Badroadrash101 9 points10 points11 points 3 hours ago (0 children) Actually my favorite of all your books. Wonderfully complex with interesting characters. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]Hopeful-Pianist7729 8 points9 points10 points 3 hours ago (0 children) No lie, Shaftoe's adventures in that whole series but especially Confusion stand as my favorite adventure fiction. You harnessed some of Dumas' juice, there. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]BlustockingShortcake 2 points3 points4 points 4 hours ago (0 children) The past sounds like a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (2 replies) load more comments (1 reply) [-]Jasole37 63 points64 points65 points 4 hours ago* (4 children) Do you regret not copyrighting/trademarking the name "Metaverse"? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 166 points167 points168 points 4 hours ago (3 children) If I had, people probably just would have avoided using it. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]JohnSV12 18 points19 points20 points 2 hours ago (0 children) I can't imagine you seeing this, but just in case: Do you ever worry that Zuckerberg read Snow Crash and missed the point? By the way, I love your books. The spirit of Snow Crash was eye-opening and the precise build up of Anathem a marvel. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]insaneintheblain 13 points14 points15 points 2 hours ago (0 children) How does it feel to write reality into existence? * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]DarkLight28 2 points3 points4 points 2 hours ago (0 children) I met a guy who was averse to that. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]alcibiadrangyabang (Nirvana in Fire) 59 points60 points61 points 5 hours ago (8 children) Hi I've been waiting for your next speculative futuristic scifi (a la Diamond Age, Anathem), do you have one coming in the near future? Any hints as to the setting? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 152 points153 points154 points 4 hours ago (6 children) Next one will be historical, sorry! * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]frasureclan 21 points22 points23 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Yessssss!!!! * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]bettorworse 8 points9 points10 points 4 hours ago (1 child) Historical as in "Baroque Cycle" or as in "Cryptonomicon" (or some other era completely?) * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]bigblackkittieHorror 1 point2 points3 points 4 hours ago (0 children) oooh, I'm intrigued. what period of history, can you say? * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (2 replies) load more comments (1 reply) [-]Deathsworn_VOA 50 points51 points52 points 5 hours ago (5 children) Love some of your characters, especially Y.T. Which one(s) did you have the most fun with writing? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 150 points151 points152 points 4 hours ago (4 children) The Shaftoes * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]No_Ad4763 30 points31 points32 points 3 hours ago (1 child) 'morphine-seeky' should be incorporated into the english language! * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]sarsvarxen 3 points4 points5 points 3 hours ago (0 children) They display a lot of adaptability * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]ChupaJrz 2 points3 points4 points 2 hours ago (0 children) I could have guessed this based on how fun they are! Scenes with them consistently give me a silly grin on my face! * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]arcticbone172 76 points77 points78 points 5 hours ago (5 children) Rich tech guys are often protagonists and villains in your novels. Since you interact with real-life tech moguls occasionally, how far do you have to reach for these characters? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 120 points121 points122 points 4 hours ago (4 children) They are a fixture of the modern landscape. I just try to make it clear that these are original characters and not "based on" or "inspired by" anyone in particular. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]arcticbone172 11 points12 points13 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Thank you! Love your work ever since an Arny buddy handed me a copy of Cryptonomican on deployment. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]florinandrei 2 points3 points4 points 2 hours ago (1 child) Well, except for maybe a few characters in Seveneves. ;) * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) load more comments (1 reply) [-]4a4ascience fiction & the classics 46 points47 points48 points 5 hours ago (10 children) What is your favorite, or a favorite, novel (that wasn't written by you)? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 120 points121 points122 points 4 hours ago (8 children) Currently I'll pick DESTROYER OF WORLDS by Matt Ruff, a sequel to LOVECRAFT COUNTRY * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]Shadeslayer2112 24 points25 points26 points 4 hours ago (3 children) THERESNA SEQUEL?!! * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (3 replies) [-]bettername2come 3 points4 points5 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Okay, I know that's not related to your work but I deeply appreciate this information. adds to read list * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (3 replies) load more comments (1 reply) [-]xopranaut 63 points64 points65 points 5 hours ago (4 children) Hi Neal, thanks for all the incredible journeys you've taken us on. A lighter question than many: I've just finished Termination Shock, and I'm wondering if the feral hog storyline was directly inspired by that woman who was mocked so much for her "30-50 feral hogs" tweet? If so it worked on me; I'm now terrified by the idea of meeting even one. * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 93 points94 points95 points 4 hours ago (3 children) I was working on it even before then but needless to say that story gave me a strong hint that I was on a good track. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]amaxen 8 points9 points10 points 3 hours ago (0 children) I totally have been Bader-Meinhofed by your characterization of Buckee's - went from never heard of it to seeing it everywhere and there isn't one within 500 miles of where I live. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (2 replies) [-]Kilian_Username 139 points140 points141 points 5 hours ago [35d17tf5e5] (16 children) What's up with Enoch Root? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply load more comments (16 replies) [-]spaceporter 39 points40 points41 points 5 hours ago (9 children) The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O feels a bit like it could spawn a series. Any intention of your and/or Nicole Galland exploring that world again? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 65 points66 points67 points 4 hours ago (2 children) Working on it! Auspices are good. Stay tuned. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (2 replies) load more comments (6 replies) [-]Secure-Frosting 19 points20 points21 points 4 hours ago (1 child) hey Neal! baroque cycle is soooo good. i also enjoy when you write about law (im a startup lawyer) in cryptonomicon. any chance you could work some lawyer caricatures into your next book or are we too boring ;) * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 81 points82 points83 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Will consider, however my saying this in no way creates a contractual relationship! * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]batmanbury 99 points100 points101 points 5 hours ago (9 children) First I have to say "thank you," Neal, for everything, and for Anathem in particular. It has changed me, and I have lost count of the number of times I have re-read it. So, to the point: Anathem seems far too rich a cosmos to leave as a standalone novel (although we can see hints of themes from it across the Neal Stephenson universe). Have you had thoughts of expanding upon Anathem in any way? There are thousands of years of history and characters leading up to the main storyline, the new lives the characters will begin at the end, the continued journey of the Daban Urnud...and all without even mentioning the alternate narratives intertwining events. And I'll just end by saying this book has opened up my philosophical outlook on the reality we find ourselves in. It makes me wonder if, when writing Anathem, you were revealing hints of your own, but I'm happy to simply speculate on that. * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply load more comments (9 replies) [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 47 points48 points49 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Also, thanks to https://www.frauncestavern.com for allowing me to hog a table for a while. Great place. * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]Queso2469 51 points52 points53 points 4 hours ago (7 children) As a huge fan of your work, I find it odd and frustrating that you've gone into the metaverse and NFT markets. Your books contain a lot of prescient warnings about the dangers of technology adopted haphazardly. And the current NFT market is a huge detriment to the world as a whole, providing nothing of value besides your name on a ledger, and in turn requiring vast expenditures of truly wasted energy to provide. So I suppose my question is why get into them now? It was obvious years ago that the market for these products is full of pure exploitation and massively overinflated value. * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 38 points39 points40 points 4 hours ago (5 children) On a pure engineering level I think that blockchain is a good match for the requirements of an open, decentralized Metaverse. Proof of stake consumes orders of magnitude less energy than proof of work. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]Queso2469 25 points26 points27 points 4 hours ago* (2 children) I think to me as a software engineer and game designer it still looks like a self defeating system. If the goal is trustless decentralization proof of stake does not accomplish it, you've simply moved the trust into a semi-anonymous group of asset owners, with an ultimate weakness that the wealthiest asset owners not only carry the most leverage, but can potentially simply control all transactions. I agree that open and decentralized is a better model for anything in the metaverse, because it was the better model for everything on the web. But the web has moved away from open access because of economic forces not technical limitations. An anonymous consensus ledger seems to just add a layer of technical complexity and mandatory transactions to normal operation of web-like services. And even then, if you have providers of some metaverse applications, what incentive do they have to respect a blockchain based ownership model over their own fully controlled ownership models? Simply having that ownership being anonymously provable doesn't seem to improve that fundamental problem. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (2 replies) load more comments (2 replies) load more comments (1 reply) [-]piddy565 34 points35 points36 points 5 hours ago (1 child) Hi, Neal! I am curious about your research approach and how you come to the decision of what topics to explore with each novel. Each of your works tackles distinct issues and themes and it's apparent that you dive deep into the real world science of each. How do you decide on a given topic to be a primary focus for your next work? Any topics you have thought about exploring but did not, in favor of what you ended up writing about? Also, just have to say, love everything you have put out. * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 55 points56 points57 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Usually when it's time for me to pick a next project I just have a strong feeling as to which idea would be best, and so I'll go deep on that. Sometimes I'm wrong but usually it works out. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]abduktedtemplar 29 points30 points31 points 5 hours ago (4 children) Why hasn't HBO turned any of your amazing books into an epic sage yet? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 56 points57 points58 points 4 hours ago (3 children) They passed on the TV series idea in 2021, I don't know why. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]fuzzywuzzyisabear 28 points29 points30 points 4 hours ago (0 children) They're dumb and uninspired * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]Vagabum420 2 points3 points4 points 1 hour ago (1 child) The baroque cycle has HBO prestige series written all over it how has this not happened. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]rebelintellectual 81 points82 points83 points 5 hours ago (8 children) I loved the book Seveneves and I heard that Ron Howard wanted to adapt it. The book was one of the best sci-fi rollercoasters I have had the pleasure to ride. What a great concept and fantastic execution. Is there a chance we see an adaptation soon hopefully as a series. No way a 2h movie does that book justice! * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply load more comments (8 replies) [-]claire0 28 points29 points30 points 5 hours ago (5 children) Thank you for doing this AMA! I am a huge fan and pretty excited you're here today. If people aren't familiar with your work, what is the book you've written that you would recommend they read first? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 43 points44 points45 points 4 hours ago (4 children) Depends on what you like: historical fiction, hard sci-fi, contemporary thriller, cyberpunk. All are on the menu! * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]-badgerbadgerbadger- 4 points5 points6 points 4 hours ago (3 children) Hist fic please I loved snow crash a decade ago but it's all I'm familiar with! * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (3 replies) [-]SyntacticDevice 23 points24 points25 points 4 hours ago (4 children) Neal, I've always loved your books, somehow your style just resonated with me, but why did you have to get involved in that blockchain thing? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 46 points47 points48 points 4 hours ago (2 children) The events of late 2021 and 2022 provided me with an unlooked-for opportunity to exert some influence over how the Metaverse develops. The technical capabilities of blockchain look to me like a close match with what is needed in the way of infrastructure to create a Metaverse that is open, decentralized, and based on a web of peer-to-peer transactions as opposed to all of the money going in to a central authority. I'm fortunate to be working with a small but dedicated group of people at Lamina 1 who see it the same way and are working to implement that in the form of a new, proof of stake, energy efficient chain. We care about royalties for artists, which is more than I can say for many players in the space. We're building a chain, and an interface to that chain, that will work for the kinds of people whose input will be needed to construct a functioning Metaverse. It's not compulsory; if we deliver what we intend to deliver, people wll use it or not. Developers who prefer to see half of their revenue disappear into the coffers of large companies are free to use those systems instead. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (2 replies) load more comments (1 reply) [-]doolio_ 19 points20 points21 points 4 hours ago (3 children) Are you still using Emacs? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 46 points47 points48 points 4 hours ago (2 children) YEs, every day * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]ToranMallow 2 points3 points4 points 2 hours ago (0 children) What's your favorite Emacs package? * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]TJamesV 23 points24 points25 points 4 hours ago (1 child) I love the world-building in Snow Crash. You did a good job of meshing cyberpunk themes with the occult Sumerian stuff, and the intricacies of human consciousness as it pertains to both. How did you get that idea for the Sumerian language "codewords?" (I forget the term you used) Was there a lot of research involved? How accurate is your portrayal to how Sumerians thought about their language? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 41 points42 points43 points 4 hours ago (0 children) From my brother-in-law Steve Wiggins who was writing his Ph.D dissertation on the topic at the time. It didn't involve a ton of research since the number of published books on the topic isn't that large. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]DavidGan1x 18 points19 points20 points 4 hours ago (3 children) I seem to remember seeing the transcripts for the Baroque Cycle were all handwritten. Are you still handwriting your books and if so, what advantages do you think it has over using a computer? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 48 points49 points50 points 4 hours ago (2 children) Mostly handwritten, yes. It's slower, and so each sentence spends longer in the buffer before it gets written out, so first draft quality is higher. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]DavidGan1x 2 points3 points4 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Thanks for the answer, does that mean you produce less drafts compared to other writers? And is there a stage where it goes into the computer (i.e when it's basically nailed down, except for spell checks and minor tweaks) * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]frogandbanjo 59 points60 points61 points 5 hours ago (3 children) A lot of folks back in the day read Snow Crash as sharp parody of the genre, but it seems to me like the newest wave of readers considers it prescient and a non-meta part of cyberpunk outright. Do you think time made it seem more prophetic in hindsight, or were you always firmly in the camp that we were going to loop back around to pizza-delivery-time guarantees as economic warfare? Gotta tell ya, these days it's reading more like hopeless naivete that any company would even bother to make such an offer, let alone live up to its terms. * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply load more comments (3 replies) [-]OverMonitor8235 18 points19 points20 points 5 hours ago (4 children) What is your current favorite video game? Or what are some games that have impressed you in recent years? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 42 points43 points44 points 4 hours ago (3 children) Valheim * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (3 replies) [-]cantonic 15 points16 points17 points 4 hours ago (3 children) What were the works you read as a kid that inspired you to become the creator you are today, someone who has stuck his fingers in a wide range of pies over the years? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 39 points40 points41 points 4 hours ago (2 children) Heinlein's books, such as HAVE SPACE SUIT WILL TRAVEL, are the ones that have stuck with me. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (2 replies) [-]Pizpot_Gargravaar 22 points23 points24 points 4 hours ago (2 children) Thank you for being here. Could you tell me how to pronounce Qwghlm phonetically? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 35 points36 points37 points 4 hours ago (1 child) We can't pronounce it, but Brits mispronounce it "tag 'em" * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]bbctol 19 points20 points21 points 4 hours ago (1 child) I'm a huge fan! One thing I've noticed in your work is a blending of extremely "highbrow" and "lowbrow" elements (no offense meant by either of those terms!) I really appreciate how your books comfortably contain both high-level discussions of abstract philosophy and pulpy action sequences. Is this something you consciously try to do in your style? Do you consider some books your more thought-focused vs. action-filled going in, or are you always ready to spin the story whichever direction makes the most sense? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 31 points32 points33 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Novels have been a pop-cultural art form from the beginning and so I think that all of this just comes naturally! The modern concept of "highbrow" novels is a recent invention. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]numbsafari 22 points23 points24 points 4 hours ago (1 child) Your book The Diamond Age has really stuck with me in my work in educational technology, especially thinking about this modern world of on-line/remote learning in rural and economically disadvantaged communities. One thing that really struck me was that, on the other side of the Primer, was a real live, dedicated human. But most of the ed-tech that we see in the market today lacks any kind of human "back-end". There is a world of difference between a kid left with an iPad, and a child with a dedicated "parent" in a virtual world. Do you have any feelings or thoughts about the current state of technology in education? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 29 points30 points31 points 4 hours ago (0 children) I still think that having a human in the loop is better. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]GenoPax 9 points10 points11 points 4 hours ago (4 children) Is there a book that you've written that became prescient about the future that you didn't expect? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 41 points42 points43 points 4 hours ago (3 children) Apparently China has actually begun shipping martial artists to the LAC as depicted in Termination Shock. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (3 replies) [-]skiereader 9 points10 points11 points 4 hours ago (2 children) Hi Neal! Huge fan here. I've read most of your catalogue by now, and I'm curious if you feel that your writing style has changed since writing Snow Crash? I think most of your books have a similar amount of wit and detail, but it seems to me that your narrative approach has changed since writing my favorite book of yours (Snow Crash). Do you have any plans to write another book in a similar style? Thank you!! * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 41 points42 points43 points 4 hours ago (1 child) Snow Crash has more "special effects" in the prose since I was more concerned about showing off during that phase of my career. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]PepperMill_NA 16 points17 points18 points 4 hours ago (4 children) I like how your books always have some basis on hard science. Who and /or what did you read for the multiverse background in Anathem? Anathem was my favorite book for a long time. The first part of the especially so. The constructed societies of Anathem and Diamond Age (Primer) indicate an interest in social evolution. Where do you think we're going? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 30 points31 points32 points 4 hours ago (3 children) Kurt Godel came up with a solution of Einstein's equations proving that in a rotating universe you could travel backward in time. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]subaltar34 2 points3 points4 points 3 hours ago (0 children) That's the way to end an AMA! * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (2 replies) [-]heelspider 45 points46 points47 points 4 hours ago (2 children) How much of Cryptonomicon's explanation for how to best eat Captain Crunch is autobiographical? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply load more comments (2 replies) [-]ShortstopintheRye 12 points13 points14 points 5 hours ago (3 children) I read once that you disavowed The Big U. Is that true and why? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 29 points30 points31 points 4 hours ago (2 children) Not exactly disavowed, but early on when publishers were compiling lists of my previous works I tended to leave it off, just because if people are browsing my list of publications and wanting to randomly pick one book to start with, I'd prefer they pick a different one. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]the_G8 4 points5 points6 points 3 hours ago (0 children) I understand why you might feel it's not representative of your later work but it's still an enjoyable book. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]LazyG 2 points3 points4 points 1 hour ago (0 children) I think it would make a great TV series these days. It's very different from your other work bury it has a bit of the Douglas Adams absurd that I really enjoyed. Also having spent time in a big but weird institution (CERN) it felt accurate-if-not-realistic gf you get my meaning. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]Tanjaganj420 12 points13 points14 points 5 hours ago (2 children) Have you made any Zweihanders? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 33 points34 points35 points 4 hours ago (1 child) Contrary to the title of this Reddit, I don't personally make swords, because it's a specialized craft that requires much detailed knowledge of metallurgy! I have done a little hand forging of crude objects like coat hooks. I leave the actual sword making to pros. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]kid_entropy 8 points9 points10 points 4 hours ago (2 children) If the writing hadn't taken off, what would your plan B, or C or D have been? Where do you guess you'd be now? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 32 points33 points34 points 4 hours ago (1 child) I undoubtedly would have ended up writing code somewhere. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]hremmingar 9 points10 points11 points 4 hours ago (1 child) I always wanted to ask this. In Seveneves i always felt some of the locations had Icelandic names such ad Akureyri. Was that on purpose? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 29 points30 points31 points 4 hours ago (0 children) It's because installations on the ring are named after pre-disaster geographical features based on which meridian they align with. If you go west from the prime meridian, you run into Iceland pretty soon! Having said that, I love Iceland and am always looking for excuses to go back. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]satallgent -62 points-61 points-60 points 5 hours ago (11 children) Must be nice to be rich. * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 99 points100 points101 points 4 hours ago (10 children) I'm doing well but I am not rich by the standards of tech industry players. Overall, Snow Crash has been curiously non-remunerative. My books aren't huge bestsellers, none has been adapted for the screen or for games, and when I do tech stuff I tend to pick projects that are interesting as opposed to money-makers. So I am not complaining about my situation in any way--I'm affluent by any reasonable standard--but you'd be mistaken if you thought I was seriously rich in the style of a tech co-founder or someone who consistently writes #1 bestsellers. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]helthrax 7 points8 points9 points 4 hours ago* (0 children) If you would want any of your books to be adapted into a movie, or TV show, which would it be? Also, thank you for doing the ama, huge fan of Anathem and Cryptonomicon. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (9 replies) [-]Anonymous37 7 points8 points9 points 4 hours ago (2 children) Dear Mr. Stephenson, I have a chunk of pork in my mouth and I am not planning on chewing or swallowing it. Do you have any idea if it's possible for my saliva to dissolve the chunk and, if it is possible, can you say how long it will take for my saliva dissolve the piece of pork? Yours truly, Anonymous37 * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 27 points28 points29 points 4 hours ago (0 children) I'm not conversant with the relevant chemistry. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]Corka 9 points10 points11 points 4 hours ago (3 children) Hi Neal! So I've read four of your books and they are some of my favourite - snow crash, diamond age, seveneves, and the rise and fall of dodo. One thing that always catches me off guard is how abrupt the endings your books are. Is this an intentional thing? Or is it just that it's hard to think of a good way to round things off? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 20 points21 points22 points 4 hours ago (2 children) Some are abrupt, some not. I think Snow Crash wraps up pretty cleanly. Same goes for Anathem, Baroque Cycle, REAMDE. Others are more ambiguous for sure. When you wrap everything up at the end you run the risk of seeming pat or simplistic. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]Steven_W_Ryan 5 points6 points7 points 3 hours ago (0 children) When I finished Snow Crash, I thought "Oh no, it's over..no more of that world.." it was a sad ending for that reason! * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]the_futre_is_now 3 points4 points5 points 4 hours ago (3 children) you mentioned blade runner 2049 what did you think of the movie and how it handled cyberpunk. related to that what do you think about cyberpunk being more a visual style nowadays than a type of story * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 25 points26 points27 points 4 hours ago (2 children) Great movies but I am sometimes frustrated by how many people in Hollywood are still stuck on the idea of "blade runner-esque" visuals. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]Kahzgul 3 points4 points5 points 1 hour ago (0 children) As a Hollywood creative, we're frustrated with it, too. The issue is not that the people here aren't coming up with ideas, it's more that the executives are so afraid to take any kind of risk on something new that the only way to get them to provide the financial backing for an idea is to couch it in the terms of financially successful past endeavors. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]bpooqd 27 points28 points29 points 5 hours ago (5 children) What are your thoughts on ChatGPT? In the future, what effects will it and even more advanced AI have on the world? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply load more comments (5 replies) [-]Orolo-Farspark 9 points10 points11 points 5 hours ago (1 child) Considering your research and description of the clock in Anathem and your involvement with The Long Now Foundation, what is your opinion on mechanical timepieces and, if you own one, what do you wear on your wrist? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 20 points21 points22 points 4 hours ago (0 children) I don't like wearing jewelry, so even though I have great admiration for mechanical timepieces I don't wear one. I'm close with the engineering staff on the Clock of the Long Now and can testify that it is amazing. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]powduh 28 points29 points30 points 5 hours ago* (5 children) Hi Neal! Thanks for joining us! We have a small but active community over at r/nealstephenson, and would love for you to stop by sometime. Feel free to answer any or all of my questions below: 1. I was sorry to hear that HBO Max's adaptation of Snow Crash was cancelled, but I enjoyed the parts of the screenplay that made their way into the Snow Crash Deluxe Edition. Can you tell us anything about screen adaptations of any of your other works? Termination Shock, for example, seems particularly well-suited for the big screen. 2. Can you confirm or deny that Miss Matheson, from the Diamond Age, is YT from Snow Crash? 3. You hold the honor of writing my favorite description of corgis: "Circumstances suggested that it had come from one of two corgis who were even now slamming their preposterous bodies into each other not far away, trying to roll each other over, which runs contrary to the laws of mechanics even in the case of corgis that are lean and trim, which these were not."Do you remember what inspired this particular description? 4. [Welp - this was a copy/paste error and I don't remember my original question. Oh well.] 5. You've mentioned before that your idea of the Metaverse was a response to trying to think of a way that people can virtually operate in three dimensions and that you hadn't conceived of something like "Doom" at the time. After Doom was released, did you expect that your vision of the Metaverse would ever come to exist? 6. Anathem is my favorite book. Do you plan to write something as speculative and expansive as that book again? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply load more comments (5 replies) [-]RustyRoses 8 points9 points10 points 4 hours ago (2 children) Hi Neal, can I ask what your inspiration was for The Diamond Age and whether the experiences within the Primer or the real world were developed first? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 16 points17 points18 points 4 hours ago (1 child) A mobile, made for infants/toddlers, with swappable cards that become more detailed and complex as the child's visual system developed. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]Modredastal 7 points8 points9 points 4 hours ago* (2 children) In Fall, many residents of Bitworld are uploads of characters from preceding books and chapters. Some are obvious, such Pan and Thingor. For the many who aren't easily identified, do you prefer to keep them ambiguous or am I just missing the clues? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 18 points19 points20 points 4 hours ago (1 child) You're not missing anything! * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]mintpomegranate 6 points7 points8 points 4 hours ago (2 children) Do you spend a lot of time on-location for your historical novels - where possible - for during your process? I was just in the Tower of London and Greenwich and found myself retracing some of your characters' steps. I couldn't help but wonder whether you'd spend much time there yourself for the novels. * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 16 points17 points18 points 4 hours ago (1 child) To a point. If you overdo it the story can become burdened with too much research. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]erlingingi 6 points7 points8 points 4 hours ago (2 children) Huge fan of the Baroque Cycle. I was gifted the "Confusion" and read that first before continuing with "Quicksilver" and knowing I had started on the 2nd book in my mind was blown when the story continued chronologically from book 2 to 1 as if you had foreseen this possibility. Was that planned? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 14 points15 points16 points 4 hours ago (0 children) The whole series was largely in its final form before the first book was published, otherwise it wouldn't have been possible. My publisher was incredibly helpful * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]jordisoler 8 points9 points10 points 4 hours ago (1 child) Hi Neal, any chance of having another story with Richard Forthrast? A favorite character, even if it has become an "entity" now. * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 14 points15 points16 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Man, I'm not sure where I could go with him at this point! A personal favorite of mine as well. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]NoghaDene 4 points5 points6 points 4 hours ago (2 children) Huge fan Sir! A few questions (and some context): The Raven from Snowcrash (and references to the Alaska highway where my people happen to be from) was such an interesting and bold indigenous character in a time where there wasn't many, particularly in sci-fi. What led you to that creating that character and character arc? Relatedly what are your thoughts, if any, on indigenous sci-fi and indigenous futurisms? And finally, in that vein, would you agree that the diversity and complexity in your novels (the Drummers in Diamond Age and Seed Tech for example) is an aspirational commentary/visioning of a more diverse and diversely inspired tech future? I ask because I am interested in indigenous language based coding systems and trying to create ethical and spiritually legit digital spaces and places and bringing indigenous values and worldviews and concepts into the AI space. I.E. What would a legitimate virtual sweatlodge look like? As said by many others mussi cho (thank you) for all of your work! * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 13 points14 points15 points 4 hours ago (1 child) I think that what really got me going on that topic was the works of George Dyson, particularly the detail that Aleuts knew how to catch waves on their kayaks and surf from island to island at incredibly high speed. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]NoghaDene 4 points5 points6 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Gotta be hard homies to hunt whales using stone tipped weapons riding massive arctic waves. Very cool. Again thank you! * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]ColoradoScoop 20 points21 points22 points 5 hours ago* (1 child) Seven Eves was such a great title, especially as one gets deeper into the book. In fact, it was so good I couldn't help but wonder if the title came first and the story was built around it. Which came first? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]xyzzzzy 5 points6 points7 points 4 hours ago (2 children) I know you got pretty into western martial arts and combat for a while, which really shined through in the fight sequences in many of your subsequent books. Are you still into that? I'm a fellow old dude and did some swordplay (relatively poorly) when I was younger, but sometimes still in the back of my mind fall into the "if I moved to a martial-arts monastery in China and studied real hard for ten years, I could be the baddest motherfucker" * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 13 points14 points15 points 4 hours ago (1 child) Still doing it * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]the_fit_hit_the_shan 6 points7 points8 points 4 hours ago (1 child) Just finished my second read-through of the Baroque Cycle and just re-started Anathem recently, so very nice to see an AMA! I remember seeing the first reports of ransomware in the wild after reading about the concept in Reamde: do you remember the first instance you heard about it outside of your work, and how you felt seeing it come to pass in reality? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 10 points11 points12 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Don't remember but I know it was a thing for a number of years before I wrote that book. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]arcticbone172 2 points3 points4 points 4 hours ago (2 children) What's the most frustrating part of the book industry? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 12 points13 points14 points 4 hours ago (1 child) I've had good experiences with it, so I don't experience a lot of frustrations. There's a very wide gap in sales and income. There are writers who sell 10x or 100x more than I do, and others who don't do as well. So, it's better to think of it as a cluster of related industries serving different markets. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]arcticbone172 3 points4 points5 points 4 hours ago (2 children) Do you usually know where a story is going once you start typing it out? Or do you set the characters in motion and see where they go? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 10 points11 points12 points 4 hours ago (1 child) The latter, as much as possible, but it's good to have a general notion as to the former * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]Psychocumbandit 4 points5 points6 points 4 hours ago (1 child) Hi Neal, Good to see you've still got a relationship with the folks at Weta- can you share a little about your time as "Chief Futurist" at Magic Leap, and your initial collaboration with Weta through that? Also really enjoyed your collaboration with Nicole Galland on "The rise and fall of D.O.D.O", but was disappointed not to see your name on the sequel. How was the co-authorship process for you, and do you think you would collaborate on a novel again? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 9 points10 points11 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Depends on the co-author, but Nicki and I worked together very well on MONGOLIAD and so I knew it would be a breeze when we did DODO. She's a pro who just gets shit done. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]FeetForEars 4 points5 points6 points 4 hours ago (2 children) Thanks for doing this AMA! Just reread Snow Crash and couldn't help connecting the Hobby Lobby guy to Rife. Did you have anyone in mind when creating that character? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 8 points9 points10 points 4 hours ago (1 child) No, that was before the Hobby Lobby guy, and in general I bend over backwards to avoid basing characters on real people * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]Kloevedal 2 points3 points4 points 3 hours ago (0 children) Even Sean Probst? * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]Ethandrul 5 points6 points7 points 4 hours ago (1 child) What ever came of the Snow Crash TV show/movie rumor? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 8 points9 points10 points 4 hours ago (0 children) It has gone through many iterations over the last three decades and so it depends on which rumor you mean! Currently inactive. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]collapsingpath 11 points12 points13 points 5 hours ago (0 children) I absolutely love Snow Crash and The Diamond Age. I just loaned my copy of the former to a friend! I'm interested in the formation of communities and the movement of culture in online spaces. I can't believe it's been thirty years since Snow Crash. In the time since that novel was written have you seen any heartening and particularly unexpected developments coming from online (meta) spheres of communication? Thanks so much for the AMA, I look forward to checking out your newer works! Author to sword-maker is the dream career path. * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]xfancymangox 2 points3 points4 points 4 hours ago (1 child) What was your experience like making a Snowcrash sword w/ Weta Workshop? How long did the entire process take? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 8 points9 points10 points 4 hours ago (0 children) About a year and a half. I knew them well from before, and so the collaboration was very easy. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]steve121864 3 points4 points5 points 4 hours ago (1 child) I am currently reading quicksilver and enjoying it immensely, I just wanted you to know. * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 6 points7 points8 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Thanks! * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]Nimelennar 10 points11 points12 points 5 hours ago (2 children) Ten years later, what are your thoughts on CLANG? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply load more comments (2 replies) [-]ciaby 1 point2 points3 points 4 hours ago (3 children) Do you still have the code and assets for the game that then became Snow Crash? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 6 points7 points8 points 4 hours ago (2 children) It was never a game, it was an idea for a graphic novel. But I had to write a lot of code to do the graphics processing. * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply load more comments (2 replies) [-]Kilian_Username 7 points8 points9 points 5 hours ago (3 children) I'll start off with a very direct one: Your `novels seem to end very suddenly (a good example would be Fall/Dodge in Hell). Is there a particular reason you don't extend the story further than needed? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply load more comments (3 replies) [-]el0011101000101001 7 points8 points9 points 5 hours ago (0 children) How do you feel about the words you created (metaverse, avatar) being used by large corporations? Also, can we see some swords? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]raelianautopsy 6 points7 points8 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Hi, I actually just happened to finish Termination Shock last week. Yet I've always wanted to ask you about Anethem, so I will... I happened to consider Anathem the greatest science fiction/ speculative fiction novel of the 21st century, and just loved exploring the world that you created there. I know that you don't often do sequels, but have you ever thought about returning to Arbe--or the other planets that the Daban Urnud visited--and show us more of what happened to the Avout after the new Reconstitution? (Also, can't help noticing multiverse is currently a moment in popular culture. Anathem had a certain revelation that consciousness is related to the many-worlds interpretation of quantum physics, so fascinating, and last year those two movies with multiverse in the title seemed to be referencing it. Anyway, I'd like to ask: Do you recommend any further reading on this?) * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]lit_readit 7 points8 points9 points 5 hours ago (0 children) What are some works of sci fi that you enjoy, or served to inspire you? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]exb165 4 points5 points6 points 4 hours ago* (1 child) For decades I have read your books. I have gifted dozens of copies. I still have a paperback Cryptonomicon, to this day I still claim my favorite book of all bar none. It's from 1999 when I was a young college student, and now is paired with an old IBM punch card as a book mark. My kid adored Seveneves and that helped her to be inspired to now be president of her HS creative writing club. Anathem led me on a year of studying philosophy. Snow Crash strongly influenced my interest in information theory. I have a copy of "In the beginning there was the command line" that I shamelessly stole from an IBM library. Today I now have a doctorate in theoretical physics and am using it for medical research. Your works have strongly influenced my enthusiasm for diving as deeply as possible into the most complicated of subjects. Neal, I do not have a question for you, but I owe you a case of beer or a homemade ribeye or a NE crab boil. At the very least, I owe you very sincere gratitude for the years of enjoyment and thought provoking influence you have had on me and by extension my family and friends. I am thrilled to say this now directly to you: Thank you. * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]Atoning_Unifex 5 points6 points7 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Any chance of a sequel to Seveneves?? Loved the 1st 2/3 of the book, pre-disaster but REALLY loved the last 3rd of the book, post-reconstruction. I found that to be a very compelling milieu and I'd love to read more about it. Did re-populating work out? What's up with the Pingers? Political tensions between the reds and blues. Lots of cool stuff to explore. And then adapt into a trilogy of films! * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NotEnoughIsTooMuch 4 points5 points6 points 5 hours ago (0 children) Good day Neal, very big fan, I think Reamde is my favourite if I had to pick just one novel, but I loved all of the Cryptonomican/Baroque cycle. Was pretty excited to see The Fall jump into that continuity. Are there any plans for more stories in that remarkable inter-generational world? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]ChrisFartz 6 points7 points8 points 5 hours ago (0 children) How did you as a sci-fi author contribute at Blue Origin for 7 years? I don't mean that in a bad way and I understand that you have a minor in physics, but I just am curious as to what you did at an aersopace company. Were you more of a creative contributor to things like design? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]neilpeartforprez 4 points5 points6 points 5 hours ago (0 children) What is one part of your books that you would prefer didn't come true? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]Phil_PhilConners 4 points5 points6 points 4 hours ago* (0 children) After the release of Reamde, you were on tour and in Chicago. During the Q&A I asked you about the use of the word "iPhone" and whether you were worried about dating the text by using a specific brand/ model phone. You said no, but several years later I noticed that the audiobook version doesn't use "iPhone." I'm 99.9% sure I had nothing to do with it, but by some small chance, did I influence that change? Edit: Here's a photo of you at the event at Unity Temple. https:// imgur.com/a/ys5Vn4E * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]ConstableGrey 3 points4 points5 points 4 hours ago (1 child) lol what's up with the $250 NFT? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NealStephensonAMA Author[S] 2 points3 points4 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Some artists made some art and are selling it * permalink * embed * save * parent * report * give award * reply [-]Kilian_Username 5 points6 points7 points 5 hours ago (3 children) Are there plans for a sequel to The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply load more comments (3 replies) [-]redditmarks_markII 4 points5 points6 points 3 hours ago (0 children) If Cryptonomicon gets adapted for TV, would you make, or allow someone to make changes to how the story flows, or would you want the switching between different time periods in the book to be presented essentially as is? And I just want to say, Snow crash and Diamond Age is what gave me that "woah" feeling that meant I would look into all your other works. Baroque Cycle got me thinking in new perspectives. But Cryptonomicon is so dang good it got me to read non fiction. History, mathematics, cryptography etc. Amazing. And thank you. * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]arrayofemotions 4 points5 points6 points 5 hours ago (0 children) Hi Neal I love your books, thanks for doing an ama. What topic are you obsessed with at the moment? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]Some1IUsed2Know99 4 points5 points6 points 5 hours ago (1 child) Beautiful sword. Where can we see examples of your swords? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]JParzivalHackworth 3 points4 points5 points 5 hours ago (1 child) ChatGPT: does it make you think of the Illustrated Primer? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]attorneyatslaw 4 points5 points6 points 5 hours ago (0 children) Working on anything new? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]JockAussie 2 points3 points4 points 4 hours ago (1 child) Hi Neal, I am a big fan of your books and thanks very much for doing this AMA. When reading Fall, I thought the idea of an America in the near future which is split in two between an 'Ameristan' which is ultra-conservative and suffers an enormous brain drain, and an 'America' which is different really felt like quite a raw but prescient take on one of the many possible outcomes of increasing political and social polarisation. Do you think that a schism of that kind is likely in reality? If you think it's likely, what actions (if any) would you say society in general needs to take to avoid that outcome? Alternatively, is it possible that a divided society like that would be a better outcome if it's going to become unavoidable? Note- I'm not American, but I find the politics interesting, and I'd be concerned about a 'where America goes, others follow' situation. Thanks * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]DcCaps 2 points3 points4 points 5 hours ago (0 children) Not a question per se. I just wanted to share my gratitude to you. I picked up Snow Crash in my post-high school listless days and was completely and utterly blown away by the world you created. The technologies you wrote about inspired me to get into the IT field. It has been over 20 years now and my career has been an amazing journey. If it weren't for Snow Crash I'm not sure I would have realized my potential! Snow Crash has been such an influence on my life that I regularly re-read it. In fact, I read it again last month. I've lost track of how many times I've read it, but can STILL find something new. Thank you for being you and bringing your ideas to life. I love all of your works! * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NestroyAM 2 points3 points4 points 5 hours ago (0 children) Hi, Neal! Since the halcyon days of you penning Snow Crash, that entire Cyberpunk genre (if you consider your own works that as well) moved a lot more onto the main stage of mainstream media. Have you followed that development? Do you have any more recent books, TV shows or movies from that genre, or scifi at large if not, that particularly caught your eye? In what ways has modern AI already exceeded your wildest dreams, if any? Do you think there is a way robotisation and widespread use of artificial intelligence wouldn't turn society into a dystopian mess? Admire your work and thanks for your time! * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]RealGirl92 2 points3 points4 points 5 hours ago* (2 children) Particularly with regard to intellect, what's with the genetic determinism in your books? Many of your "smart" characters have highly-educated lineages and, as shown with Seveneves, you have no issue exhibiting "races" as having differing cognitive capabilities. With the rise of neo-Nazism, it's a bit sus, though, even in the nineties, Charles Murray unfortunately was gaining popularity. * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply load more comments (2 replies) [-]MordantWastrel 2 points3 points4 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Two qs: 1. Any plans on returning to the Diamond Age universe? I know it's been a minute but I loved the worldbuilding on that one and how you managed to get live theatre as a building block. 2. Has your writing process changed significantly over the last 10-15 years? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]theSiegs 1 point2 points3 points 5 hours ago (0 children) What's something interesting you'd like to share about Lamina1? Are Dappa and Van Hoek in Cryptonomicon? Is there something you put in a novel that you hoped readers would notice/comment on but you haven't seen that happen? What hobby gets you outdoors the most? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]hogfl 2 points3 points4 points 5 hours ago (0 children) Some of the events in Termination Shock are happening much sooner in reality than in your book. Given the current environmental trajectory do you maintain your optimism? Would you change anything it you were writing today? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]giskard9385 2 points3 points4 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Was Hiro Protagonist always the character's intended name or was it a working name that you eventually just decided to roll with? Any other anecdote you can share about this decision? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]ASK_IF_IM_PENGUIN 2 points3 points4 points 4 hours ago (6 children) I'm literally just starting to read Snow Crash right now. Started it yesterday. How do you feel about terms like "Metaverse" being used by companies (specifically Meta/Facebook)? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply load more comments (6 replies) [-]the_idea_pig 2 points3 points4 points 5 hours ago (1 child) Neal, I heard a rumor a long time ago that Snow Crash was originally supposed to be a graphic novel. Is there any truth to that or is it just hearsay? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply load more comments (1 reply) [-]ada-lovecraft 2 points3 points4 points 4 hours ago (0 children) I have a lot of things I want to ask or say to Mr Stephenson, but the most important of all of them is this: Thank you. * Ada * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]NomNomDePlume 2 points3 points4 points 5 hours ago (0 children) What books, shows, movies, or music have you recently enjoyed? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]lit_readit 2 points3 points4 points 5 hours ago (0 children) If you were not a writer, what would you have become? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]MuonManLaserJab 1 point2 points3 points 4 hours ago* (0 children) Thank you for doing the AMA! You're a favorite author of mine. In Fall; or, Dodge in Hell, I thought it was unlikely that each neuron would require a quantum computer. Is that your estimate of what will be required, or was that just for the sake of the narrative? Part of what makes me confident that we won't need quantum computers (though they might help) is the frankly unreasonable performance we're getting out of neural nets with simplified neurons, without the full complexity known to be present in biological neurons (e.g. the ability to compute XOR in a single layer), let alone quantum effects, and despite our AI models using small numbers of neurons compared to those in the human brain. What do you think about the rise of generative AIs and what they imply about the future of AI and brain simulation? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply [-]LesterGreenisGod 1 point2 points3 points 4 hours ago (0 children) Thank you taking the time to host an AMA Mr. Stephenson and for writing such fantastic books. My question: the war in Ukrainian is at this point (tragically) the largest war in Europe since 1945 and is probably, so far, the largest conventional war of the 21st century. It also seems to be the first "21st century war" in the sense that many technologies and trends (social media for propaganda or reporting, the rise of robotics/drones, AI etc) that developed/came to prominence over the past couple decades are playing a prominent role that we haven't seen to quite the same extent in previous conflicts. Based on the speculative nature of your works, are you particularly surprised by how these developments have so far turned out over the past year? * permalink * embed * save * report * give award * reply load more comments (306 replies) * about * blog * about * advertising * careers * help * site rules * Reddit help center * reddiquette * mod guidelines * contact us * apps & tools * Reddit for iPhone * Reddit for Android * mobile website * <3 * reddit premium * reddit coins Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy. (c) 2023 reddit inc. All rights reserved. REDDIT and the ALIEN Logo are registered trademarks of reddit inc. Advertise - entertainment [pixel] p Rendered by PID 65 on reddit-service-r2-loggedout-5cd694d77d-mq2cb at 2023-03-03 23:01:03.721996+00:00 running f7e3308 country code: US.