Comments on: A brace of interviews: Richard Morgan and Neal Stephenson http://futurismic.com/2008/10/22/a-brace-of-interviews-richard-morgan-and-neal-stephenson/ Presenting the fact and fiction of tomorrow since 2001 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:56:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Paul Raven http://futurismic.com/2008/10/22/a-brace-of-interviews-richard-morgan-and-neal-stephenson/comment-page-1/#comment-16705 Paul Raven Sat, 25 Oct 2008 18:46:50 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=4442#comment-16705 Thanks, Doug! Thanks, Doug!

]]> By: Doug Winter http://futurismic.com/2008/10/22/a-brace-of-interviews-richard-morgan-and-neal-stephenson/comment-page-1/#comment-16704 Doug Winter Sat, 25 Oct 2008 18:20:19 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=4442#comment-16704 Yup, read them both. Anathem is a must-read, and it's very provocative. It suffers from some of the same problems (and attractions) as the Baroque Cycle, with some huge and rather indigestible ideas presented in a bizarre format. I don't really buy the overall theory behind it, but that doesn't lessen the enjoyment of the book. Destined to be a classic. I reviewed The Steel Remains <a href="http://adju.st/2008/09/the-steel-remains-by-richard-morgan.html" rel="nofollow">myself</a> [contains spoilers]. If you like Morgan's other stuff, you'll like this. I am looking forward to the next in the series. Yup, read them both.

Anathem is a must-read, and it’s very provocative. It suffers from some of the same problems (and attractions) as the Baroque Cycle, with some huge and rather indigestible ideas presented in a bizarre format. I don’t really buy the overall theory behind it, but that doesn’t lessen the enjoyment of the book. Destined to be a classic.

I reviewed The Steel Remains myself [contains spoilers]. If you like Morgan’s other stuff, you’ll like this. I am looking forward to the next in the series.

]]> By: Paul Raven http://futurismic.com/2008/10/22/a-brace-of-interviews-richard-morgan-and-neal-stephenson/comment-page-1/#comment-16660 Paul Raven Thu, 23 Oct 2008 08:37:26 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=4442#comment-16660 Thanks for the feedback, Liviu; anyone who rates <i>Use of Weapons</i> as one of their top novels deserves to have their opinion paid attention to. :) Thanks for the feedback, Liviu; anyone who rates Use of Weapons as one of their top novels deserves to have their opinion paid attention to. :)

]]> By: Liviu http://futurismic.com/2008/10/22/a-brace-of-interviews-richard-morgan-and-neal-stephenson/comment-page-1/#comment-16659 Liviu Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:55:02 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=4442#comment-16659 Anathem is my top sff novel of the last 10-15 years or so since Use of Weapons which is still my top sff novel of all time. I bought an arc in August and read it the first time in 3 days and then reread it 4 times since once you get the jargon the book is actually a page turner adventure and its topics - consciousness, Multiverse, lifelong learning, observing and thinking about the Universe - appeal to me a lot and I am a big fan of Roger Penrose whose magnum opus, and that is hard book btw, not Anathem, The Road to Reality is my top nonfiction book of the last ten years or so and is clearly an inspiration for Anathem alongside some classical and modern philosophy. I've read TSR too and while it's good though not great, the hype and reinventing fantasy thingy propagated online lessened a lot my enjoyment. It is probably about the 10th fantasy novel of the year for me and I am interested in the sequels, but it's not particularly original nor inventive. Dark, lots of swearing and sex, but these days quite a lot of epic fantasy is doing that and there are much better series out there like Sarah Monette's Mirador one that tackle homosexual protagonists and their love life so even in that TSR is far from unique. Anathem is my top sff novel of the last 10-15 years or so since Use of Weapons which is still my top sff novel of all time. I bought an arc in August and read it the first time in 3 days and then reread it 4 times since once you get the jargon the book is actually a page turner adventure and its topics – consciousness, Multiverse, lifelong learning, observing and thinking about the Universe – appeal to me a lot and I am a big fan of Roger Penrose whose magnum opus, and that is hard book btw, not Anathem, The Road to Reality is my top nonfiction book of the last ten years or so and is clearly an inspiration for Anathem alongside some classical and modern philosophy.

I’ve read TSR too and while it’s good though not great, the hype and reinventing fantasy thingy propagated online lessened a lot my enjoyment. It is probably about the 10th fantasy novel of the year for me and I am interested in the sequels, but it’s not particularly original nor inventive. Dark, lots of swearing and sex, but these days quite a lot of epic fantasy is doing that and there are much better series out there like Sarah Monette’s Mirador one that tackle homosexual protagonists and their love life so even in that TSR is far from unique.

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