Cryptonomicon

Cryptonomicon is one of those special works that actively influenced my daily thinking. It’s a vast collection of topics that seamlessly build on each other, and even with its hefty size I still wanted more in the end. I think my first encounter with Stephenson’s work was ‘Snow Crash’, which I read before I started reviewing books. Snow Crash was enjoyable, I remember it featuring very creative sci-fi concepts, but Cryptonomicon felt much more rooted in our familiar reality while still retaining that incredibly creative sci-fi streak.

Stephenson’s writing is comedic yet serious. I would call it witty, it’s very entertaining and yet doesn’t distract from the story at hand. He has some of the best metaphors I’ve ever read, they’re entirely descriptive and unique. There were several times I just had to stop and laugh at the way he describes things, a laugh that was in awe and respect instead of a mocking laugh.

If you have any interest in computing or data privacy then I highly recommend Cryptonomicon.