Snow Crash

By: Neal Stephenson

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Only once in a great while does a writer come along who defies comparison - a writer so original he redefines the way we look at the world. Neal Stephenson is such a writer and Snow Crash is such a novel, weaving virtual reality, Sumerian myth, and just about everything in between with a cool, hip cybersensibility to bring us the gigathriller of the information age.

In reality, Hiro Protagonist delivers pizza for Uncle Enzo's CosaNostra Pizza Inc., but in the Metaverse he's a warrior prince. Plunging headlong into the enigma of a new computer virus that's striking down hackers everywhere, he races along the neon-lit streets on a search-and-destroy mission for the shadowy virtual villain threatening to bring about Infocalypse. Snow Crash is a mind-altering romp through a future America so bizarre, so outrageous...you'll recognize it immediately.

©1992 Neal Stephenson (P)2001 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Brilliantly realized...Stephenson turns out to be an engaging guide to an onrushing tomorrow." (The New York Times Book Review)
"Fast-forward free-style mall mythology for the 21st century." (William Gibson)

Pretty Amazing for 1992

If you could sum up Snow Crash in three words, what would they be?

Surprisingly Accurate Sifi.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Snow Crash?

In the first few pages when delivering pizza is a life and death matter.

What does Jonathan Davis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

did not really notice, maybe that is a good thing.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not that riveting.

Any additional comments?

Snow Crash was released in 1992. At this time the internet was just being born. Yet the author described things that are not really that far out. The Metaverse, sounds a lot like Second Life or any MMO.

I can see elements from this book that have been borrowed in other science fiction.

Totally worth listening to if you are a tech person or a fan of sifi.

Great reader, great book!

Buy now, worth every penny, or credit! Enjoyable, great reader! Shows how this coorporate America is taking over the way we think and live.

Great book read by one of the best.

Fantastic story. Jonathan Davis is a master. A highly recommended read. Just get it! get it now.

Neal Stephenson is like no other.

What did you love best about Snow Crash?

The Snow Crash audio book holds up to repeated listening. It is the only book I have on permanent rotation on my iPod. His dystopian vision of the future is compelling, amusing, prescient, and thought provoking.

What other book might you compare Snow Crash to and why?

No one writes like Neal Stephenson. His density of description and thought is incredible.

What about Jonathan Davis’s performance did you like?

Well portrayed.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed, I cried, I thought mostly about capitalism, weak government, economics, mathematics, biblical studies, language - an intellectual tour de force all in a compelling sword play story.

Any additional comments?

Simply Awesome

I wanted to like this book...

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

A friend suggested Snow Crash--I wanted to like this book. Alas, no suck luck. In my opinion, the story is dated.

A prescient, complex, and entertaining novel

This novel was released in '92 and shows Stephenson's gifts as a writer in one of his "shorter" works. 20 years later I marvel at how much Hiro Protagonist's experiences and adventures in the "real world" and the Metaverse foresaw some significant things in our present day world. While the story is complex, its satirical aspects are what i enjoyed the most. Jonathan Davis' narration really enhanced the story. One of my first audible.com books and still one of my favorites.

Good story

Between chapters there is a silly quasi-musical interlude. It is annoying and unnecessary. Other than that, the book is a fun listen

great book, great performance, terrible audio

snow crash is a wonderful book, and the performance is wonderful, but the audio sounds like a poor tape deck being raked across a sound system....

OK

Narrator was good but I didn't like the weird transition effects. The story was good but the writing wasn't really my style.

An All-Time Favorite

If you like cyberpunk, you need to listen to this. Excellent performance, but the recording sounds a bit old, lossy, and glitchy — my only complaint. It's quite 90s retro and nostalgic, however! The story has endured very well and I still love it.