Zodiac

Rating:
Summary: One of the best un-sci-fi books I've read recently
Review: Despite the fact that this book is usually stocked in the sci-fi category, it really isn't. Not in the 90's-00's, anyway. Any Stephenson fan will enjoy this book. Lot's of the usual suspense and plot twists.

Rating:
Summary: Love That Dirty Water
Review: Neal Stephenson is on a roll with this one, a really funny book set lovingly in Boston Harbor. The hero combines feats of derring-do in a rubber raft (the Zodiac of the title) with a sharp wit and complete intolerance for his inferiors.

In the mix is also some interesting commmentary on political campaigns and industrial pollution, as well repeated references to Joan Jett's great cover of Jonathan Richman's "Roadrunner."

Rating:
Summary: Hilarity at every turn. Classic!
Review: What a great book! The plot is well thought out, the information well researched and the situational comedy is superb. S.T.'s character is classic, hilarious and so smooth. An EPA James Bond. Definitely a must read.

Rating:
Summary: Toxic Spiderman Meets THE HARBOR
Review: Neal Stephenson takes a break from reinventing the 'Net and introduces us to the land, air, sea, and... sludge. Boston traffic really is that bad, both in the harbor and out. Would YOU eat the fish? S.T.'s tactics are sneaky, his eating habits are repulsive, his attitude needs a readjustment -- and you find yourself grinning at every damned thing he does.

Rating:
Summary: Good Book
Review: I've also read Snow crash and Diamond Age and Zodiac was my favorite. Good book.

Rating:
Summary: Not just for cyberpunks & bitheads!
Review: Neal Stephenson is considered a "cyberpunk" writer due to his mega-hit "Snowcrash". This ghettoisation of his books is unfortunate, as it keeps potential mass market readers from discovering the excellent "Zodiac". Any reader who enjoys a fast paced thriller will go wild over this book! It is hard to put down & will disturb it's readers with the extent of the poisoning of our planet that we all cooperate in on a daily basis by participating in a market economy. Even though "Zodiac" is classed as science fiction, the facts in this book are documented & real; only the events are fiction, but anyone who reads the newspaper will recognize the basis for the characters & action. In summary: this is an exciting book that will stay with you long after you've closed the cover. READ "ZODIAC"!

Rating:
Summary: Engaging and exciting! A classic!
Review: The good news is that this is a fine book, and suffers from none of the inherence or distraction of his other books. Read /this one/. It has actual pacing, plot, prose, and characters.

In fact, it's a CLASSIC, and that's not something I've only ever said about one other book, Ken Grimwood's /Replay/.

I hope that lightning (or whatever natural force gave Stephenson the momentarily ability to write this book) strikes again.

Rating:
Summary: I want to be an eco-terrorist.....
Review: I am far from an environmentalist but this book made me want stop up drains and keep people from polluting. The main character was a jerk and I loved it. The science seemed pretty real. (anthro major not science major so anything would seem real to me). Too bad not all of Neal's books are this good.

Rating:
Summary: Phase Two in the Evolution of the Stephenson Style
Review: This is a fun, readable book, but it is certainly not a masterpiece. S.T. is a cool character. I like the handling of drug-use in the book. It's pretty realistic in that it's as quotidian as eating breakfast. The problem in this, as in Big U, is the "larval" stage of N.S.'s hipster style dates easily. When S.T. calls a yuppie an "android from Hell" I groaned. Wasn't this already a cliche in 1988? Style aside, the plot is pretty standard, the action is unremarkable, and the supporting characters are, as has been mentioned by a lot of fans, so thin you can read an Evinrude tech manual through them. But I can't deny that I was compelled to finish the book and had a good time with it. (By the way, the tech side of things: chemistry, weapons, cars, etc. was cool as usual. I appreciated the 'condescension' of explaining the workings of molecules using beer cans. I got a C- in Chemistry in 11th grade, which was thankfully the last time I had to grapple with valences and such.) If you're interested in Ecology, hard-boiled fiction, the 80s, or Neal Stephenson's writing, read this book. If you're not, read something else. One other thing: if you read this and Cryptonomicon check out the similarities between Dolmacher (Zodiac) and Loeb (Crypto) -- psycho nerds with survival skills. I guess N.S. puts his money where his pen is when it comes to recycling.

Rating:
Summary: Funny, yet prophetic...
Review: Considering this book was written 11 years ago, it's impressive how dead-on-the-money it remains. The chemistry is sound (rare! very rare!) and the portrayal of the corporate world and the politics of deniability is sharp.

I enjoyed it more than either SC or DA; I find it easier to read and more enjoyable.

If I have a criticism, it's that some of the people and groups named are almost too-obviously-disguised real people; Basco are a combination of Monsanto and Dow and Hank Boone is Paul Watson (one of the founders of Greenpeace Intl. and now captain of the Sea Shepherd); it's a very minor point, but Neal could have put slightly more effort into constructing fictitious characters.

That aside, it's a thoroughly accurate portrayal of the conflict between big industry and small pressure group.

I'd recommend it to anyone as a good read and as a basic ecology primer; if you don't know this stuff, you should.