Science fiction
I live and breath sci-fi, but a lot of the material that's been written over the years leaves me cold, and I have no idea why. Case in point: Neal Stephenson. I love Snow Crash; it's easily one of my favourite books of all times. The grimy, post-political landscape, the mythology, the characters, all of it. Every time I've ever picked up a gun, real or not, since I first read it, I've named it Reason.

On the other hand, his doorstopper of a book Anathem was so dull I gave up 300 pages in. Just couldn't bring myself to care about any of it.

Oh, and Kurt Vonnegut's style winds me up something fierce. No substance to it.
(a gun that fires other, smaller guns full of jizz, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 22:53, 12 replies)

Have you read 'He, She, It' ?
If you like dystopia it's a great read.
(Sivvus trolley collision in the fruit aisle led to a jam, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 23:05, closed)

Have you tried speling it 'breathe'

(Captain Placid 24/7 ball gags, brownie mix and clown porn, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 23:17, closed)

Have you tried spellchecking your own posts as well as other's?

( wheresthefish Partly filled with wrong, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 23:26, closed)

Since when has one person's error
been an excuse to completely reject any idea of self-improvement?
(Sivvus trolley collision in the fruit aisle led to a jam, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 23:30, closed)

Errrm, yeah, I have!...
...And generelly do.
Your point?
(Captain Placid 24/7 ball gags, brownie mix and clown porn, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 23:43, closed)

AH
have you tried getting out more?
(Speshal, Fri 6 Jan 2012, 8:35, closed)

others'

(moon monkey is busy making memories worth repressing, Fri 6 Jan 2012, 11:22, closed)

Quite a few people have made that mistake on this QOTW
Apparently books are gaseous.
(Sivvus trolley collision in the fruit aisle led to a jam, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 23:28, closed)

Similar experience
...but a book or two earlier with Cryptonomicon. I did finish it, though.

The Diamond Age is still one of my favourite books ever, though.
( Amish Information Systems hates misplaced, commas, Fri 6 Jan 2012, 0:09, closed)

Until the last 20 pages
where he tries to wrap the whole thing up and it's all a bit preposterous.
( flatfrog Staring vacantly into space, Fri 6 Jan 2012, 9:34, closed)

I finished Anathem on the third try
I actually quite enjoyed it but it was pretty self-indulgent. By about page 500 the plot started. I do admire Neal Stephenson for having the guts to make entire books about very dry subjects, like the Baroque series which is essentially a history of the birth of modern economics with some sexy bits an' killin'.
( flatfrog Staring vacantly into space, Fri 6 Jan 2012, 9:33, closed)

Loved Anathem
Was relatively disappointed by Snow Crash just because I wanted another Anathem. Luckily he has other doorstoppers! You might like REAMDE...
(ridethefader, Sat 7 Jan 2012, 11:44, closed)