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)

Perfection

Fantastic story, fantastic narration (Davis is brilliant). Mandatory listening.

pretty good

well read, clearly an earlier work of Stephenson's while he was still evolving. It's worth listening to, but lacks the complexity of Anathem or the Baroque Cycle.

water-boarded with deliciously thick cyberpunk

What did you love best about Snow Crash?

It's often easy to readily criticize books that switch between points of view for being overly complicated or under stimulating but the balance that Snow Crash has, is a seemless fusion of abstraction and power. A large portion of the story revolves around a couple of street smart privateers in a dystopian post-capitalistic corpratocracy. These two, elegantly, narrated by Jonathan Davis, work together to uncover a genuine bad-guy who is the front of an evolved plot. The other large portion is the philosophy of cyberspace and the leadings up to it as a language. The brain is explored with fresh and unique concepts that really make you wonder if it's all fiction or not.

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

Stephenson introduced for the first time (to my knowledge) a skate board culture that grapple hooks from car to car on a board that has wheels (spokes rather) that can adapt to terrain for a smooth ride. The thought out streets of the now metastatic

Have you listened to any of Jonathan Davis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've listened to a few JD readings and they are consistent with his awesome representation of this work.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

-A blasian top notch hacker-ninja, with the help of friends specializing in philosophies from spunk to grit, battles the bodies and hearts of an ancient zeitgeist threatening to brainwash the planet-

Any additional comments?

This isn't a casual read. The reader may read it for you, but you still have some responsibilities. Best for a roadtrip on long stretches of road or you'll miss too much of the story.

Would you like to try some Snow Crash?

This is an awesome story, but it was the reader that really got me hooked. His voice for the character of Raven was so distinctive that in one scene I recognized who was speaking well before he was actually identified in the text, and I wished the author had written more dialog for him just so I could hear that delicious accent again!

The plot is chaotic and confusing and wonderful. This was my first Stephenson book, and I will definitely be reading more. I have also put Jonathan Davis on my "must listen" list.

One of the best Sci-fi novels of all time

Snow Crash is one of the definitive novels of the "cyberpunk" genre. This audiobook version is very well produced and engrossing. The beginning of the novel is incredibly campy, and I found it almost too silly to listen to. It's worth it by the end though. This book is very non-stop action, so is good for long roadtrips.

High energy, won't disappoint

Neal S. is spectacular, and the narrator is too. Listening again after 10 years ago, and it is even more relevant now. I will get more Jonathan Davis narrations. He is very easy to understand and does not have scintillating screechy 's' sounds that some narratives have.

A Faithful Representation of a Unique Genre

Coming to this off Cyberpunk 2020, couldn't be more thrilled. A must read for any Sci-Fi enthusiast looking for more exposure to the genre. Subtle yet compelling enough to stay with, the last couple chapters are impossible to walk away from. An excellent work, and a fascinating concept. Jack yourself in and get ready to cruise the 'crete.

Hold onto your seatbelt!

This fast based incredibly creative sci Fi adventure takes more twists and turns than the road to An alpine summit. Brilliant narration keeps you hooked scene by scene and chapter by chapter. The listener literally gets seconds to grab his/her breath as we move from one adventure to another. There is absolutely no let up on the pace as the author puts the metal to the pedal and says to buckle up and hold tight. Great fun along the way.

Great story but I didn't get the ending.

The story is great and the narration / performance is suberb! Really great. I really felt that the ending was a sort of a cliffhanger (which was disappointing). Great characters, not too difficult to follow what is going on. Great concepts (the "metaverse" is sort of like "cyberspace" +/-). Very weird (gotta like weird!??!). I finished listening to the audiobook with more questions than I had before I started.

Must read!

If you like great narrative, and are into technology (even if all you like are techno gadgets) and a bit of adventure, you'll love the book. It has quickly become an all time favorite! Wow. How could I have missed this book for so long. What a treat.