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Posted: 6/29/2016 10:20:29 AM EDT
[#1]
I just finished it. The plot and concept are good. But man does he get weighed down in the science. I admit it. I am never going to comprehend orbital mechanics.
Might have a few too many characters too. Hard to keep track of it between a dozen or so main characters AND orbital mechanics. |
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Posted: 6/29/2016 10:40:08 AM EDT
[#2]
Quoted:
If so is it worth the read? Yes, absolutely. |
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Posted: 6/29/2016 3:06:26 PM EDT
[#3]
Sounds like he writes similarly to Michael Crichton, in that unlike many scifi writers where they would say there is a time machine and then go into the story about how it was used, he would tell you how it was built before he got to the story. Unless you could really build what he was describing, I would rather not read a complete treatise on how to construct an imaginary time machine. Hell I'm reading scifi, I have no problem believing there is a time machine for the sake of the story.
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Posted: 6/29/2016 6:41:07 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Sounds like he writes similarly to Michael Crichton, in that unlike many scifi writers where they would say there is a time machine and then go into the story about how it was used, he would tell you how it was built before he got to the story. Unless you could really build what he was describing, I would rather not read a complete treatise on how to construct an imaginary time machine. Hell I'm reading scifi, I have no problem believing there is a time machine for the sake of the story. Yeah, in some ways it was good that he went into some detail so that the reader understood just how difficult the plan was. And how low the chances of success were. I thought he overdid it a bit but then I've learned to skim stuff and arrive back at the story line. |
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Posted: 7/3/2016 9:00:55 AM EDT
[#5]
It should have been a series. The Hard rain section would be one book, and the "new earth" the second. Didn't flesh out the second part very well.
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Posted: 7/3/2016 9:48:37 AM EDT
[#6]
I loved Cryptonomicron. That had a lot of characters, and delved into cryptography a bit further than I could understand.
Still an awesome read, and one I suggest here a lot when people ask for a 'vacation book.' |
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Posted: 7/5/2016 11:55:07 PM EDT
[#7]
I bought it. It'll be read eventually. Haven't heard a bad thing about it besides the hard science stuff.
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Posted: 7/9/2016 7:58:57 PM EDT
[#8]
A bit of a spoiler. I did read and enjoy it, but there are three main groups, and all the book covers in any detail is the group that has the "Eves". The details of the two other groups don't get more than a 'hand wave'. Somethings about their tech would have been nice.
Bottom line, there're a lot worse scfi books to be found - read and enjoy! |
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Posted: 7/13/2016 7:50:33 AM EDT
[#9]
Bought it the other day and just started Part 2. I'm enjoying it, but it does kind of drag in spots.
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Posted: 7/13/2016 7:58:20 AM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I just finished it. The plot and concept are good. But man does he get weighed down in the science. I admit it. I am never going to comprehend orbital mechanics.
Might have a few too many characters too. Hard to keep track of it between a dozen or so main characters AND orbital mechanics. I enjoyed the science. I listened to it on audible. |
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Posted: 7/13/2016 8:35:56 AM EDT
[#11]
Delete - wrong thread!
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Posted: 7/14/2016 4:18:11 AM EDT
[#12]
Seveneves was excellent, but Stephenson is pretty much my favorite author. It certainly redeemed the relatively weak Reamde. I liked the second part just as much as the first, and almost more because I loathed some of the initial characters... I was significantly affected by the events in the first part (trying to no spoil stuff here) and nearly reached depression when...
Click To View Spoiler It really could be set up for a number of sequels or parallel books of the other groups' experiences. |
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Posted: 7/14/2016 5:59:37 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I enjoyed the science. I listened to it on audible. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I just finished it. The plot and concept are good. But man does he get weighed down in the science. I admit it. I am never going to comprehend orbital mechanics.
Might have a few too many characters too. Hard to keep track of it between a dozen or so main characters AND orbital mechanics. I enjoyed the science. I listened to it on audible. Might be it was over my poor head. I like science and have an engineering bent to my thinking processes. Bot orbital mechanics and the like are something I've never tried to get since my odds of ever being in space are pretty darned low at this point. heck, with my recent health issues I doubt I'd pass the physical for a school crossing guard.
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Posted: 7/18/2016 4:45:36 PM EDT
[#14]
I did the audio book and loved it. I'm a physics major so I loved the science in it. Having listened to a few of his books, it's interesting to hear some of the same names. Enoch Root is in just about every book.
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Posted: 7/18/2016 5:05:54 PM EDT
[#15]
I got about 20 pages into part three and gave up. Just tired of the story.
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Posted: 7/18/2016 7:20:36 PM EDT
[#16]
If you want to get into hard core history Fiction read his Baroque Cycle. Holy cow, 1200 people involved, history, the beginnings of Calculus and the characters are ancestors to the ones in Cryptonomicon! I need a cheat sheet and a slide ruler to keep control of who is who.
But they are great books. If you want one that is really strange and "takes off" into a whole 'nother direction, read Anathem. |
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Posted: 7/18/2016 7:28:25 PM EDT
[#17]
Definitely should have been 2 books. It ended way too abruptly.
The New Earth part was too rushed. Still a fascinating read. |
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Posted: 7/18/2016 8:38:56 PM EDT
[#18]
My saved quote from Seveneves, pure Stephenson:
Quote HistoryTerReForm had come late to Hawaii. The place was small, idiosyncratic, far away, and complicated - best left for last, after major continents had been booted up. Quote HistoryTerReForm had come late to Hawaii. The place was small, idiosyncratic, far away, and complicated - best left for last, after major continents had been booted up. Quoted:
If you want one that is really strange and "takes off" into a whole 'nother direction, read Anathem. First 50 pages: "What is this stupid language?" Rest of the book: "Why doesn't everybody speak Orth?" |
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Posted: 8/3/2016 8:34:04 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Seveneves was excellent, but Stephenson is pretty much my favorite author. It certainly redeemed the relatively weak Reamde. I liked the second part just as much as the first, and almost more because I loathed some of the initial characters... I was significantly affected by the events in the first part (trying to no spoil stuff here) and nearly reached depression when... Click To View Spoiler It really could be set up for a number of sequels or parallel books of the other groups' experiences. I was soooo bummed with Reamde. The first half was AWESOME...and then it just devolved into a Hollywood chase scene. It bummed me out because the story starts right near my home town in northwestern Iowa.....and it really picked up well....and then plfft. Was looking for Anathem this week but couldn't find it......keeping my fingers crossed for my next trip to the book store. I still consider "The Diamond Age" one of the finest hard core SF novels EVER. |
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Posted: 8/21/2016 6:24:38 AM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted: If you want to get into hard core history Fiction read his Baroque Cycle. Holy cow, 1200 people involved, history, the beginnings of Calculus and the characters are ancestors to the ones in Cryptonomicon! I need a cheat sheet and a slide ruler to keep control of who is who. But they are great books. If you want one that is really strange and "takes off" into a whole 'nother direction, read Anathem. |
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Posted: 8/31/2016 11:38:52 PM EDT
[#21]
I loved loved loved the first half. I started on the second half and lost interest for some reason. Not sure why.
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Posted: 9/26/2016 6:01:58 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I got about 20 pages into part three and gave up. Just tired of the story. The books almost over then. That's a sign of bad writing! |
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Posted: 9/27/2016 11:15:54 AM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Yeah, in some ways it was good that he went into some detail so that the reader understood just how difficult the plan was. And how low the chances of success were. I thought he overdid it a bit but then I've learned to skim stuff and arrive back at the story line. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Sounds like he writes similarly to Michael Crichton, in that unlike many scifi writers where they would say there is a time machine and then go into the story about how it was used, he would tell you how it was built before he got to the story. Unless you could really build what he was describing, I would rather not read a complete treatise on how to construct an imaginary time machine. Hell I'm reading scifi, I have no problem believing there is a time machine for the sake of the story. Yeah, in some ways it was good that he went into some detail so that the reader understood just how difficult the plan was. And how low the chances of success were. I thought he overdid it a bit but then I've learned to skim stuff and arrive back at the story line. Reading Wheel of Time would not have been possible for me if I didn't posses this ability. |
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Posted: 9/30/2016 6:38:25 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I loved loved loved the first half. I started on the second half and lost interest for some reason. Not sure why. Same thing happened to me. |
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Posted: 11/5/2016 8:57:16 PM EDT
[#25]
Loved it. Some good suspense sections in Part 2. JFB is a bitch and should have been spaced.
Loved the tech in the Part 3; Kath's glider return to the ring sequence was amazing. Stephenson gets on these kicks on a certain piece of interesting tech/physics; Cryptonomicon was cryptography, in this on it's the physics of chains. Builds a whole transportation infrastructure out of them. |
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Posted: 11/6/2016 12:02:00 AM EDT
[#26]
I would say that yes, it is worth the read. The first third is a bit dry and technical, but the second part of the space saga is quite a ride. The second half isn't bad, but there are sections of the book you need to soldier through to get to the pay off.
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Posted: 2/5/2017 1:52:08 AM EDT
[#27]
I found almost everything by Neal Stephenson is worth reading, Seveneves really seems to read like three related but different books. I found it told me a lot about gravity, once you are off of the surface of a planet thinking about gravity gets mighty tricky. I enjoyed how many of the characters are based upon people you know. I sort of wished the first two parts were one book, and the last part was the beginning of a large, second two part, book.
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Posted: 2/5/2017 2:04:19 AM EDT
[#28]
Quoted:
If so is it worth the read? If you've read Stephenson's Anathem and did not like it, I would suspect Seveneves to go similarly. They both are similarly challenging reads, have greatly accelerating time lines, and meditations on orbital mechanics. Seveneves was a bit more bleak at times. For what it's worth, I enjoyed them both and everything else that I have read that Stephenson's written. |
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