# Sevenneves by Neal Stephenson **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 20, 2015, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141 "2015-04-20T20:13:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/21 "2015-04-22T04:11:55Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > **Reamde** , which I haven’t read Lucky you… ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/22 "2015-04-22T05:31:34Z")
Seven eves It’s a palindrome. I’ve read everything else he’s ever released so I won’t stop now. Although Reamde did give me pause, and I will have lowered expectations. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/23 "2015-04-22T13:16:07Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > I’ll second that list, though I haven’t read Zodiac or The Big U. _Zodiac_ is good fun although I’ve not read it for years and it’s probably a bit dated, but _The Big U_ gets a bit tedious. I’ll be reading _Seveneves_ when it comes out but, unlike his PR release (don’t remember quite where I read it), I think the opening line is pretty dire, not immediately gripping. The premise has been given in the OP, so I’ll just quote it in open: > [@](#): > > The moon blew up without warning and for no apparent reason. Gets straight into the story I suppose, but it sounds like the start of some 1930s sf potboiler to me. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/24 "2015-04-22T13:48:14Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > **Reamde** , which I haven’t read either, looks like he took “read me”, dropped the space, and then swapped the D and M. Yup. That’s exactly the point. “Chinglish,” if that’s not too much of a spoiler. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/25 "2015-04-22T16:04:48Z")
> [@MikeG](#): > > Humanity must send out colonizers to save the race. Last two thirds of book skips forward 5000 years and we see the **three** distinct species that have descended from us as they plan to return to Earth. The blurb I saw said it was seven distinct species, hence “seven eves”. Maybe I misread. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/26 "2015-04-22T16:14:57Z")
> [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > I’ve only recently read this author - Snow Crash and Zodiac are the only two that I’ve read so far. Both were enjoyable reads, but as I noted above, I’ve been a bit disappointed in the endings. > > Can someone list Neal Stephenson’s books in descending order of quality? For myself, I’d rate Cryptonomicon and the Baroque Cycle as his best. As others have noted, they are major time committments to read, but I think well worth it. In particular, the Baroque Cycle offers a very compelling ‘take’ on how European civilization pulled ahead of the rest - in the form of a rollicking historical adventure. Following that Snow Crash, The Diamond Age, and Anathem. I’m considering re-reading Anathem because of how highly others rate it here - on first read, I didn’t find it as gripping, but I may reconsider. Reamde is a long way below the rest. Haven’t read Zodiac or the Big U. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/27 "2015-04-22T16:45:20Z")
_Cryptonomicon_ and _Snow Crash_ are 1-2. Way ahead of the others. I’m a serious Computer Science person, so these really resonate. I’ve read them quite a few times. There was Math in Anathem??? Then a fairly big drop off. I guess _Diamond Age_ next. Then ?? _Zodiac_ ??. The _Baroque Cycle_ was barely tolerable. Just a rambling sequence of words. Then the crap: _Anathem_, _Reamde_ and the Stephen Bury books. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/28 "2015-04-22T17:04:07Z")
My personal ranking would probably go: 1. Snow Crash 2. Cryptonomicon 3. Anathem Fair Drop 4. Diamond Age Bigger Drop 5. REAMDE 6. Baroque Cycle 7. Zodiac > [@ftg](#): > > There was Math in Anathem??? I hope this was a whoosh. There was enough math and orbital mechanics in _Anathem_ to warrant appendices to explain some of it. I actually liked that part. But translating the naming scheme he uses for his alternate reality’s math to ours was sometimes tedious, though perhaps unnecessary for basic comprehension of the story. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/29 "2015-04-22T18:00:44Z")
I thought Reamde was excellent for exactly what it was – a techno-thriller from Neal Stephenson rather than some other jackass. I’d re-read it a lot sooner than I’d re-read Diamond Age, which I found gratuitously surreal in its attempt to convey its equivalent of the Grid or Matrix, or whatever you want to call it. I don’t think I could hope to rank the books by quality. My recommendations would depend on what I wanted to call attention to: Snow Crash - Said to be foundational in the cyberpunk genre, I read it well after the fad had passed and I found it read like a parody of cyberpunk, of the best kind of parody – one which itself is an excellent example of the genre it lampoons. Cryptonomicon - You’re a geek and you haven’t read this already? Get out, and don’t come back until you’ve redeemed yourself. Anathem - Think of it as a young adult novel for budding scientists and philosophers. Follow it up with an introduction to the real world’s philosophical and scientific history. Baroque Cycle - A massive swashbuckling adventure across the globe steeped in the intellectual tradition that gave rise to the enlightenment. REAMDE - A nerd-heavy techno thriller from a guy who not only understands tech, but really understands nerds. Diamond Age - It’s steampunk with a nanotech twist, seemingly written for the gratification of people who like to tell other people they _just didn’t get it_. Cobweb - Interesting good guys save America from a terrorist attack, struggling not against the bad guys so much as against the disfunction caused by deeply ingrained institutional chickenshit. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/30 "2015-04-22T18:36:13Z")
If we’re doing ranking lists, mine would be something like Anathem Cryptonomicon Snow Crash Baroque Cycle Reamde Interface Cobweb Diamond Age Zodiac Looking at them written out like this, I guess I pretty much always enjoy his writing, and when I also like the subject matter or structure then I find the books to be excellent. Things like Reamde or the Bury books I found enjoyable but didn’t leave a lasting impression afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Burden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/958977/32.png) [@Jack\_Burden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Burden)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/31 "2015-04-22T19:35:59Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > a big stiff rampant raging throbbing brain-schwing. in case you were looking for a sig line, I think you’ve found it. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2015, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/32 "2015-04-23T01:14:34Z")
I’ll get round to Seven eves one day, I still haven’t read Reamde, all your meh responses have put me off. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/33 "2015-05-18T21:18:46Z")
Having read the preview I am looking forward to reading Seveneves. I haven’t read most of the rest of Stephenson’s oeuvre but there’s something really appealing to me about this book’s set up. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/34 "2015-05-19T01:44:57Z")
I loved the Baroque Cycle twice, I loved it so much I read it twice. Dayum! \*Cryptonomicon \*was of course also great, and _Snow Crash_. I’ve read _Big U_ but I don’t even remember what it was about. I did not like _The Diamond Age_, it was the first NS I didn’t enjoy. Then I bought \*Anathem \*when it came out and still have yet to get 100 pages in. STILL. I have \*Reamde \*on my Kindle, haven’t cracked it. If I ever get around to the last two, I’m sure I’ll check out _Seveneves_. I’ve got like 30 years left on this life, at least. It has to happen at some point. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/35 "2015-05-19T15:03:17Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > If I ever get around to the last two, I’m sure I’ll check out _Seveneves_. I’ve got like 30 years left on this life, at least. It has to happen at some point. Well, don’t just leave it until you’ve got only six eves left. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/36 "2015-05-19T15:12:23Z")
My copy arrives tomorrow. 🙂 I expect I’ll read it as soon as I finish my current book, _Europe in Autumn_ by **Dave Hutchinson**. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/37 "2015-05-19T23:20:28Z")
Just picked up my copy. I have company coming over tomorrow so I’ll not have much reading time in the evening. It may be a late night. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/38 "2015-05-20T00:12:18Z")
Hoping I can get it in Dublin on Thursday. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2015, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/39 "2015-05-20T18:28:17Z")
Saw this on Gizmodo: > **[Join Us For a Live Chat With Neal Stephenson Right Now](https://gizmodo.com/join-us-for-a-live-chat-with-neal-stephenson-here-at-4-1705833367)** > > Neal Stephenson, author of the acclaimed novels Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, and Anathem, is here to talk about his latest, Seveneves, and chat with us about his visions of the future. ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141/40 "2015-05-20T18:48:25Z")
Relieved to see that I’m not the only one who has “Reamde” sitting there, unfinished. Still, I do get excited by almost every new Stephenson book. My list of top books would be: Snow Crash (for the sheer pleasure of discovering him. It may not be his best, but it rocks, and I remember that I couldn’t help browbeating everyone I knew into reading it). For this reason, it’s still my number 1. Anathem Cryptonomicon Baroque Cycle Interface Cobweb Diamond Age Zodiac The Big U Reamde might not be at the bottom of this list, I should get around to finish it one of these days, when I have nothing else to read. I read the Big U, but have barely any memory of it. Your (Dopers’) impressions on “Seveneves” will help me determine whether I want to buy it or not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sevenneves-by-neal-stephenson/718141.md?page=3)