Stephenson, Neal

Creating a cohesive novel that features nuclear physics, the sport of polo, the excitement of a world’s fair, and the dangers of unprotected sex is a gargantuan task. Stephenson leaves readers winded but satisfied.

This sprawling, genre-hopping novel will thrill Stephenson's fans and engross newcomers. Epic is an overused adjective, but it fits here. [See Prepub Alert, 12/3/18.]

The huge scope and enormous depth of the latest novel from Stephenson (Reamde; Snow Crash) is impressive even from an author known for wallowing in the details. Divided roughly into thirds, the narrative never fails to carry readers through the author's sometimes unfortunate habit of leaving all his research on the page, a quibble about a major work of hard sf that all fans of the genre should read

Having fled to British Columbia decades ago to avoid the draft, Richard Forthrast amassed a fortune transporting marijuana over the border to Idaho...