/lit/ - Literature

>>16176004
Correct

So what's some decent YA, /lit/? I remember pic related being enjoyable.

I see the word “burger” thrown around a lot, correctly. Who has actually read this book though, and why is it your favorite spec-fic novel, not to mention the greatest piece of literature ever published?

great book but upon rereading i found book of the new Sun to be better.
Thoughts?

Did /tg/ read anthem? I read it and fucking loved it. It divided a bunch of folks though, how do you feel about it and why?

Why do people say that Neal Stephenson's books have bad endings?

Snow Crash, The Diamond Age, Cryptonomicon and Anatham all have really great endings.

I love that people give him credit for world building but they say that he ends his stories badly. Why? Why on Earth? His novels have spectacular and exhilarating endings.

I actually didn't like it that much, even though it has some interesting ideas.

I actually liked Anathem better, even though it's not as accessible at first.

Still wanna read cryptonomicon though.

Thoughts on Anathem's treatment of Greek philosophical ideas? The most interesting aspect of the book is the way it presents things like the theory of forms in a diegesis that has no resemblance to the real world. The plot was too long-winded and Stephenson's dialogue often feels stunted, but Anathem was one of the smarter SF books I've read.

Gateway drug to philosophy? I've read this serveral times as well as the MOST basic Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Leibniz, Descartes, Sartre. Also assorted political philosophy from stupid American general ed courses - Locke, Voltaire, etc but mostly excerpts.

Where to go next? Thinking Nietzsche because he's fun to read but maybe not fundamental enough.

I just finished this one. It dragged on at parts and I didn't love it as I was reading it, but as soon as I finished it I wanted to reread.

Part of the problem is the new vocab you have to learn just to understand it.

What does /lit/ think of this?

I'm about 400 pages in, and though it was slow at first I'm starting to like it.

Currently looking for books of speculative science fiction genre (picture very related)

any suggestions, /lit/?

Hey, /lit/. What's your favorite author, and favorite book by that author, and what you're currently reading? I'm curious.

I'd have to say Neal Stephenson is my favorite author, and Anathem was his best book. I loved the hell out of Snow Crash and The Diamond age, and you should all read those if you like cyberpunk/sci fi, but Anathem has them beat.
Right now I'm reading Galapagos, first book by Kurt Vonnegut that I'm reading. How about you guys?

>>4559215
>>4559218

Stephenson's in my top three. Very, very good. I can understand why some people might not like him; he's got a certain sense of humor that may or may not work for you, and his longer books take up a lot of headspace, memory, require your full attention even on weird digressions, but I've never found the payoff to be less than worth it. Even when I totally disagree with him, the disagreement is interesting and entertaining; I hate Platonism, but fucking loved Anathem.

Snow crash is probably his lightest, I think anyone could enjoy that just for the action. Reamde, too, is a great adventure story (if you can enjoy, or at least sit through, the bits about computer games.) Cryptonomicon, through, is probably the quintessential Stephenson. Read Snow Crash, then Cryptonomicon.

This reminds me of an idea brought up by Neal Stephenson in Anathem, though I feel like he never did much with it in the story, only hinted at things: "causal domain shear" he called it.

A character is theorizing that it would be possible to "time travel" if one was in total isolation. That is, if one existed in a "causal domain" that was completely separated from other "causal domains." No information can pass from one to the other. In such a state, who knows? Perhaps time could move faster or slower in one domain than in another. And then what if somehow those two domains are brought together?

OP should read Anathem.

Anyone read Anathem? I'm really interested in philosophy and the themes of this book, it's rather long though and some reviewers say it can drag on, worth it?

I've recently got a glimpse of this novel while visiting a friend. Is it worth reading?

What does /lit/ think of Anathem?

Hi /lit/

Just read Anathem by Neal Stephenson, was right up my alley. Anyone read any of his other books?

Which one would you recommend?

Is this worth reading the whole way through?

So far it's just Harry Potter with ancient philosophy and science mixed in.

Just read it. It was interesting, but I saw the ending coming from a mile away, and the pacing was ploddingly slow, and I couldn't shake off the feeling that this was basically Harry Potter for nerds.

Just ordered it. What should I expect?

I've never read anything by Niel Stephenson. Are his books good?

Please recommend modern "science fiction", but also novels that could be categorized as fantasy/dystopian/utopian. Specifically looking for:

-Written in the last decade-ish
-Innovative world-building
-Relatable, dimensional characters
-Original and creative speculation regarding society/gov't/science/technology
-I'm not averse to spiritual/psychological elements

Thanks you guys (+gals?)

pic related I think, haven't read it, but saw it won a Hugo.