Neal Stephenson Returns with "Anathem"

Lev Grossman writes to tell us that Neal Stephenson, author of greats like Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon, has another novel due for release in September. The catalogue copy gives us a small glimpse at what may be in store: "Since childhood, Raz has lived behind the walls of a 3,400-year-old monastery, a sanctuary for scientists, philosophers, and mathematicians--sealed off from the illiterate, irrational, unpredictable 'saecular' world that is plagued by recurring cycles of booms and busts, world wars and climate change. Until the day that a higher power, driven by fear, decides that only these cloistered scholars have the abilities to avert an impending catastrophe. And, one by one, Raz and his cohorts are summoned forth without warning into the Unknown."

Add one more line for the Fox TV show:

[Stanistani]

"Hilarity ensues as the naive monks wander into an Orange County mall and are adopted by a gaggle of teenage girls."

Re:This makes me happy

[gardyloo]

Plus, it's usually up to the reader to provide the last chapter or so. Weave away, reader. It's a brilliant way to write books, because each one ends up being lovingly tailored to the individual reader's mindset.

Yes.

[ScentCone]

I think it's possible that Neal himself has been sealed in a Monastary for 3,400 years, actually. I don't know how else he could have written the Baroque Cycle, along with the works mentioned, and still have had time to come up for air and produce something new, too. Looking forward to it. Are you watching, George Martin? See? Wriiiite... publish!

deja vu

[s20451]

That book was great the first time I read it, when it was called A Canticle for Leibowitz [wikipedia.org].

Re:He saves time

[Anonymous Coward]

Keep in mind this is a guy who, in one novel, actually named the hero and protagonist "Hiro Protagonist".

Re:Atlas Shrugged

[spun]

Christ on a kitten huffing bender, man, what are you on about? I can't even figure out whether you are right-loony, left-loony, libertarian-loony, or just an Ayn Rand fetishist based on this post. How you managed to read ANY of that into this preview of Stephenson's new book, I'll never know.

Look, this is the Internets, you have to be more specific in your insults and more obvious in your humor. ;)

Yay!

[fucket]

I was reading "The Baroque Cycle" for so long that when I finished it, there was a noticeable vacuum in my life. I struggled to remember a time when I *wasn't* reading "The Baroque Cycle" and searched in vain for something as dense, interesting and clever to fill my newly idle hours. I hope I speak for many others besides myself when I express hope that the new books compare favorably in both mass and density (and thus volume) to the old.

Re:Shades of the Foundation Trilogy (plus)

[Archangel Michael]

"Pity that S.F. authors seem to go a little nuts when they get old."

It isn't a pity, it is the way of things. A young S.F. can obscure the fact that he is, in fact, nuts by his creativity. The problem with age, is that it tends to bring less creativity and thus unable to hide that which was always there.

Re:Atlas Shrugged

[ultramk]

Oh, sorry. I guess I need some sort of Venn diagram.

Re:This makes me happy

[Anonymous Coward]

Ha exactly. I was going to ask if this one actually had an ending.
After Diamond Age and Cryptinomican, I half expect any book I read by Stephenson to end in mid-sente

Re:This makes me happy

[gardyloo]

I'm from the old school where a book ought to have a resolution to the climax (and it should come AFTER the climax).

Right. I think literary critics call that "cuddling".

Re:Interesting

[Lemmy Caution]

I'm particularly fond of the fact that his male protagonists are generally depicted in close, lifelong friendships with other men, that women tend to play little roles in their lives, but by Jeebus they're not gay. I haven't seen such repression since Batman and Robin sank so far into the closet, they could see Narnia.

Re:Yes.

[Anonymous Coward]

The second and third were given to me, but they sat idle on a shelf for 3 months before I realized that I would never be able to find the extra 20 years of free time I would need to get through them.

So true. Reading is hard. You can always read the funny pages in the newspaper or watch tv shows. Try Extra! or Entertainment Tonight. They talk about celebrities and stuff and they don't use a lot of big words, so you might like it.

Re:This makes me happy

[Anonymous Coward]

not funny!