I picked this up in the library because it was supposed to be funny and Neal Stephenson liked it, at least according to the jacket. So far it’s been pretty weird - it’s set in New York City in 2023 (or 2028, can’t recall), so far it’s about an egomaniacal multibillionaire who likes to build huge buildings and a hick who works hunting sharks and alligators in the sewers. An interesting part of it’s backstory is the fact that nearly all people of African descent died in Black Pandemic of 2004, with a few survivors possibly in hidden and remote sanctuaries. I’ve only read a couple of dozen pages so far but I’ve noticed that the ghost of Ayn Rand is a character later on in the book, and the book is dedicated to her. I haven’t even read anything by Rand but I’m already seeing parallels to Atlas Shrugged based on what I’ve heard debated about it on these boards. So far I get the feeling I’m reading one big in-joke that I’m not in on. I’m not going to have to read something else to get this, am I?
Nope. The Ayn Rand clone does talk about her philosophy, but you get the gist without having to read Rand herself.
The book is hilarious. If you like weird, you’ll love this. It is quite obscure, though, and you may be the only other person on the board who actually will have read it.