Special Review: Zodiac from December 2008

In Neal Stephenson's Zodiac, we were introduced to Sangamon Taylor and his world in this eco-thriller. He knew about chemical sludge and evil very well. He followed the trail of sludge that led him to some nasty places. They bombed his house and shadowed his every footstep, when he was listed on the FBI's Most Wanted List and played a starring role for a near-assassination of the president. He would need help from his tofu-eating compadres to find an escape and to get out of his scrape on a Zodiac and save the day as a good guy.

At first, I had a love/hate relationship with this book. But in the end, I really did enjoy it. I did care about Sangamon Taylor and his ecological fight for the planet. I love the ecological theme to this novel, when it dealt with chemical sludge that could do harm to the planet. I love the central location of the Boston Harbor area in this one. This would take you for a wild ride for sure. Great tension, plenty of suspense and intrigue with an interesting mystery and non-stop action to the end.

Ready to ride the zodiac? Hop aboard with a copy today!

Snow Crash

In Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, he took us on a wild and wacky ride for this futuristic thriller. With fantasy and science fiction elements, he introduced us to Hiro Protagonist and Y.T., two heroic characters who braved the Metaverse. For both of them, they were Kouriers for a pizza company and were taken in for a ride. They dealt with Sumerian myths, alternative and virtual reality with a futuristic view of California and elsewhere. They deal with some unlikely characters like Russian assassins and the mob and a religious cult outfit as well, when Snow Crash was about a computer data virus and how they stopped it from taking over the world.

This was a weird and wild thriller. It was part science fiction, part fantasy to comprehend it. I did care about Hiro and YT and couldn't care less for the others. But this novel gave us a peek at the future via alternative and virtual reality. I found it a bit confusing and amusing at the same time. Some parts towards the middle and the end were a bit graphic for the virtual reality scenes. This send me some chilling thrills all the same in the end. So I found it a bit average with a three-star rating. Great drama, tons of action and adventure in two different realities, and plenty of interesting fun.

Ready to search for a snow crash? Give it a try today!