korty's Reviews > Snow Crash
Snow Crash
by
by
![569843](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1193287012p2/569843.jpg)
Cyberpunk’s next generation pretty much began here. Written by someone who -unlike William Gibson- actually knows computers, this anime in novel form is one of those rare SF books that is read by many non-SF readers.
On a personal note, this is probably the only book I’ll ever read whose main character is half black and half Japanese, just like me! When I first read it, I was working at a pizza place, just like the protagonist, and I actually got fired around the same time I got to the point of him losing his job as well. Also, my first name is Hiroshi and he goes by Hiro. Cool, huh? OK, aside from those neat little coincidences, we are not at all alike. It just made reading it all the more fun for me. Plus I hated that job.
Admittedly, there are certain aspects of this book that are a tad dated now (it was written in 1991), and he can’t quite get past certain stereotypes of Japanese people that many Westerners harbor. Still, there is some fun bit of social commentary and parody on just about every other page, and Stephenson satirizes globalization years before most people even knew what globalization is.
There is also some really fascinating stuff involving the concept of memetic viruses, which he ties to Sumerian mythology and the Tower of Babel. I know that a lot of people find this part of the book to be boring, but I was fully engrossed. The kind of thing I live for when I read SF.
On a personal note, this is probably the only book I’ll ever read whose main character is half black and half Japanese, just like me! When I first read it, I was working at a pizza place, just like the protagonist, and I actually got fired around the same time I got to the point of him losing his job as well. Also, my first name is Hiroshi and he goes by Hiro. Cool, huh? OK, aside from those neat little coincidences, we are not at all alike. It just made reading it all the more fun for me. Plus I hated that job.
Admittedly, there are certain aspects of this book that are a tad dated now (it was written in 1991), and he can’t quite get past certain stereotypes of Japanese people that many Westerners harbor. Still, there is some fun bit of social commentary and parody on just about every other page, and Stephenson satirizes globalization years before most people even knew what globalization is.
There is also some really fascinating stuff involving the concept of memetic viruses, which he ties to Sumerian mythology and the Tower of Babel. I know that a lot of people find this part of the book to be boring, but I was fully engrossed. The kind of thing I live for when I read SF.
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
January 1, 1992
–
Finished Reading
October 31, 2007
– Shelved
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![korty](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1193287012p1/569843.jpg)
I do, however, understand how a person might come to an anti-anime state of mind considering the amount of crap anime there is out there. I personally only like about 20 percent of the anime I have encountered. But that 20 percent has been freaking brilliant (or at least sufficiently entertaining). Of course, that percentage also applies to most other media products across the board. For instance, I love a good horror film, but a lot of them suck. Like anything, if you tread past the crap, you’ll eventually find the good stuff.
I suppose in my description I could have said the book is a GOOD anime in book form, but that seems a little obvious.
![Consumer](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1346296658p1/12115757.jpg)
By your analogy, it would be like saying it's an English story in book form. So perhaps you shouldn't be a complete elitist turning unnecessarily racially defensive just because you're half Japanese.
And frankly, I feel anime is terrible. Even with fluent Japanese, I can only stand watching dubbed versions with good English-speaking voice actors because Japanese anime voice acting is generally so terrible and unnatural. The art style is off-putting and I find myself having to work to overlook distasteful aspects of anime just to enjoy its, hopefully, good story.
![korty](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1193287012p1/569843.jpg)
![korty](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1193287012p1/569843.jpg)
That's cool. I am a firm believer in variety. If everyone liked the same things, the world would be a boring place. I responded to you the way I did, just because your post seemed kind of negative and broad, without really adding anything to the conversation. I don't in any way think you are a bad person for not liking things that I like.
On a side note, that's cool you have been able to spend so much time in Japan. Are you hapa as well? I got to spend a good 6.5 weeks there in the early 2000's and loved it. Got to spend time with my dad's side of the family and went to a lot of alternative/punk rock shows at small clubs.
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Good review.