Neil Stevenson is a famous American science fiction writer, winner of the prestigious Hugo Prize. His work belongs to post-cyberpunk. He is the author of the novels "Avalanche", "Diamond Age", "Cryptonomicon", "Mercury", "Mix", "Anathem".
Writer Biography
Neil Stevenson was born in Maryland in 1959. He was born in the small town of Fort Mead. His father was a professor of electrical engineering, and his mother was a biochemist technician. They worked at the University of Iowa. His debut in the great literature took place in 1984, when he released the novel "Big U". The work "Avalanche" brought him popularity. According to many literary critics, this text summed up the main achievements and artistic discoveries of cyberpunk.
At the center of the story is the idea of a mysterious virus that can be harmful to people. And not only in real life, but also in digital reality. It is believed that the main merit of the author lies in the fact that he gave an exhaustive and thorough description of the commercial matrix. This has become a kind of peak of technological progress.
"Diamond Age"
Neil Stevenson's books often became popular and published in large numbers. This also applies to his 1995 novel. Its full name is "The Diamond Age, or Primer for noble maidens." This novel belongs to one of the best books by Neil Stevenson.
Events unfold in the same universe as in the novel "Avalanche", but in the future, after two generations. There is no longer a national government in the world. He was replaced by fila. They unite people according to a certain sign: religious, cultural, ideological or ethnic. One of the largest fils is called New Atlantis. It revived the culture of Victorian England, as well as Confucianism.
Much attention is paid to the development of nanotechnology in the novel. In the center of the story is the girl Nell, who lives in Shanghai. In her hands falls a unique book - Primer for Noble Maidens, developed by a new Atlantic engineer specifically for the granddaughter of Lord Finkel-McGraw. It was for this novel that the writer received the Hugo Award.
Cryptonomicon
Among the books by Neil Stevenson, his novel Cryptonomicon, written in 1999, stands out. The action of this work takes place in parallel during the Second World War and in the 90s of the XX century. Fiction in the novel is closely intertwined with reality. Among fictional characters there are many historical figures: Alan Turing, Ronald Reagan and many others.
According to the plot of the novel, in 1942, the American genius of mathematics and the captain of the Navy Lawrence Waterhouse gets a referral to the Anglo-American division. This is a secret institution, the existence of which is known only to a limited number of people, among whom are the leaders of the United States and Great Britain.
The task of the members of this group is to hide that the Allied intelligence, led by Alan Turing, has cracked the Enigma code. Waterhouse enters into a fascinating duel with a German opponent. In parallel, it becomes known that the Japanese military Goto Dengo, who was once a mining engineer, was tasked with erecting a secret bunker in the Philippines.
In the second time layer of the novel, Waterhouse's grandson in the 90s tries to organize an information paradise with friends. They dream of a place where information could be freely exchanged, without government interference and censorship that sneaks into the Internet.
"Mercury"
When compiling a list of Neil Stevenson’s works, it is imperative to mention the novel Mercury, which was published in 2003. This book takes place at the end of the 17th century. The novel is written in several narrative genres. For example, it contains theater performances or letters that are unusual for a standard text. It has a huge number of actors. In his work, Neil Stevenson describes events and inventions that are important for the science of that time.
He uses historical details, changing them to make it easier to introduce fictional characters into the plot. In particular, he explores the issues of cryptography and the theory of knowledge.
The first and third parts of the novel tell of the philosopher and friend of Newton named Waterhouse, his life and his observations of British politics. But the second book is entirely devoted to a poor tramp named Jack Shafto, as well as freed from the Turkish harem of Elise. They travel across Europe, seeking to be in the Netherlands.
"Mix"
In 2004, Neil Stevenson published another historical novel with fantastic elements called Mix. The book is divided by the author into two parts: Bonanza and Alliance. In 2005, he was awarded the prestigious literary prize in the field of science fiction "Locus", which has been awarded since 1971.
Of this novel by Neil Stevenson, the reviews were mostly positive. Critics were impressed by its quality and complexity. Many noted that the action in this work takes place much faster than in previous works of the author, and this is a definite plus. Prior to this, Stevenson was often criticized for a large number of unnecessary details. At the same time, he develops plot moves and ideas used in previous works.
Anathem
The 2008 novel Anathem describes the fictional planet Arb. Scientists and intellectuals live in it in isolated monasteries. They voluntarily decided to isolate themselves from the outside world. Their calm and measured life is broken when a spaceship from a parallel world lands on the planet. His crew is hostile and warlike. In this work of Stevenson you can find a large number of philosophical and historical disputes, in a fantastic form the author reinterprets the history of the development of philosophy and science. One of his main ideas, which develops on the pages of the novel, is the concept of a multi-world interpretation of quantum mechanics.
