Neal Stephenson - Take William Gibson mix with Douglas Adams and throw in a dash of Dan Brown (at least some of his better stuff) and you have a pretty good take on Stephenson. His latter books have less Adams and more recognition of the impact of current trends. Terrific author with great vision. Most information security people I have met are at least familiar with him.
Snow Crash - A bit campy but in a way that makes it more fun to read. It has perhaps my favorite quote from a fiction book. "Condense fact from the vapor of nuance" It is a insightful exploration of the potentials of memetic threats in a world where human machine interface is tighter and more intertwined. Social commentary is light but the technical daydreaming is fabulous.
Diamond Age - Has one of the best basic descriptions of the process by which computers work that I have ever seen in a fiction work. Leads to the edge of Singulatarian thinking without really crossing. Still easy reading but without the silliness of Snow Crash. Actually manages to explore the concept of Depreimeterization and defense in Depth with enough detail and ease of understanding for anyone to get it. Again this in a fiction book written seven years ago. Still applicable and in some ways presented.
Cryptonomicon - Complex intertwined story with significant historical reference and a detailed understanding of the interplay of information uses.
Easily One of my favorite authors - So who are yours?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment