Cyberpunk is a niche of science-fiction where I found a fascinating milieu steeped in world cultures and technology but never really found what I considered to be great stories. Neal Stephenson doesn’t accomplish it here either with Snow Crash, but it’s nevertheless a fun ride. And one that isn’t so utterly bleak, in contrast to Gibson. The characters never stray too far from cookie-cutter personas with the exception of Y.T. Hiro mostly serves to move the plot along. And with the Librarian, he’s an exposition device for Stephenson’s elaborate ideas on language and cognition which provide the true value for the book.

The painting of this cyberpunk universe in the very first chapter is what resonates so clearly for me in these uncertain times. Ridiculous inflation of the dollar. Global trade imbalances. Utilizing data mining to reengineer the most mundane of business processes. All converging towards an empty backyard swimming pool.