Seveneves (free sampler) by Neal Stephenson

Seveneves (free sampler)

by Neal Stephenson

The astounding new novel from the master of science fiction.

What would happen if the world were ending?

When a catastrophic event renders the earth a ticking time bomb, it triggers a feverish race against the inevitable. An ambitious plan is devised to ensure the survival of humanity far beyond our atmosphere. But unforeseen dangers threaten the intrepid pioneers, until only a handful of survivors remain…

Five thousand years later, their progeny – seven distinct races now three billion strong – embark on yet another audacious journey into the unknown, to an alien world utterly transformed by cataclysm and time: Earth.

A writer of dazzling genius and imaginative vision, Neal Stephenson combines science, philosophy, technology, psychology, and literature in a magnificent work of speculative fiction that offers a portrait of a future that is at once extraordinary and eerily recognizable. He explores some of our biggest ideas and perplexing challenges in a breathtaking saga that is daring, engrossing, and altogether brilliant.

Reviewed by bettyehollands on

4 of 5 stars

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This book finally answers the burning question about what would happen if you sent Malala Yousafzai, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Elon Musk, and Clair Underwood into space in a three-part somewhat unrelated series that probably should have been two (or more) books. O, it was also a good metaphor for Donald Trump's rise in America at one point but that was like 600 pages ago so I forgot it. Really though, the book is classic Neal Stephenson (i.e. good and interesting), but it's definitely not my favorite effort by him. It actually may be my least favorite book of his but it's nonetheless enjoyable if a bit of a slog. There's also some weird anti-US government bureaucracy/pro-Communist dictatorship flavor for a bit but I'll chalk that up to my hyper-awareness of such things and also relative lack of countries who can reliably fling things into space.

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  • Started reading
  • 12 January, 2018: Finished reading
  • 12 January, 2018: Reviewed