Termination Shock

A Novel

By: Neal Stephenson

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

Length: 22 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times Bestseller

From Neal Stephenson—who coined the term “metaverse” in his 1992 novel Snow Crash—comes a sweeping, prescient new thriller that transports listeners to a near-future world in which the greenhouse effect has inexorably resulted in a whirling-dervish troposphere of superstorms, rising sea levels, global flooding, merciless heat waves, and virulent, deadly pandemics.

“Stephenson is one of speculative fiction’s most meticulous architects. . . . Termination Shock manages to pull off a rare trick, at once wildly imaginative and grounded.” — New York Times Book Review

One man—visionary billionaire restaurant chain magnate T. R. Schmidt, Ph.D.—has a Big Idea for reversing global warming, a master plan perhaps best described as “elemental.” But will it work? And just as important, what are the consequences for the planet and all of humanity should it be applied?

Ranging from the Texas heartland to the Dutch royal palace in the Hague, from the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas to the sunbaked Chihuahuan Desert, Termination Shock brings together a disparate group of characters from different cultures and continents who grapple with the real-life repercussions of global warming. Ultimately, it asks the question: Might the cure be worse than the disease?

Epic in scope while heartbreakingly human in perspective, Termination Shock sounds a clarion alarm, ponders potential solutions and dire risks, and wraps it all together in an exhilarating, witty, mind-expanding speculative adventure.

©2021 Neal Stephenson (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

A good book for our time

Parts of this book will stick me far longer than the overall piece. As with his most well known previous work Snowcrash, the author has woven together two separate stories that come together nicely and feel well fleshed out even on their own.

The opening of this book is a pinch in the gut, speaking plainly about the state of the world just a couple decades from now. Nothing feels like too big a leap and it stopped feeling like a novel set in the future very quickly. It's a great warning.

The weakest side of things is the direct nature of the storm nothing feels like a turn ever, just a jaunt to a final destination. But maybe that's the point. it never loses you along the way because it wants to be sure you're following along with the important backdrop of it all.

I wouldn't recommend this book to everyone but if you've liked the author's previous work or enjoy a little future forecasting, chances are you'll like this one as well.

Excellent near future speculative fiction

Diverse likeable characters navigate intrigue and action in this very plausible novel from Neal Stephenson. Excellently narrated (though he could work on his Scottish accent) with good pacing that keys you listening. Do recommend.

really enjoyed this

very timely with what's going on in the world and very interesting. I highly recommend this book.

Fun story with interesting concept.

Great story and characters and fun concept of possibly solutions and new problems to climate change. Almost too many references to what are now current effects, might cause it to age poorly if the future diverges too much.

Best Neal Stephenson book of the last few years.

I really enjoyed this book. In some ways it was more readable than his last few. It had a tighter narrative. I love Neal's pondering of near future events and my guess is that book could be prophetic in that someone somewhere will need to just act, and it is sadly unlikely to any of the large democracies. As he summarizes "America has become a clown show, due to its adoption of Trumpism and QAnon" (My paraphrase, not a quote)

Cool story, well read, but Dutch needs work.

Engaging story, fun how the Dutch monarchy and politics are woven into an international thriller that doesn't seem to far-fetched. Well read, but pronunciation of Dutch words remains hard for the reader. While sometimes a bit annoying, it mostly adds some additional fun for native Dutch speakers....

Good, not great.

This story is not nearly so compelling as the author’s others, but the writing quality and the narration still make for good entertainment.

a new perspective

Neal Stephenson books are always a crazy ride, and they often give you a new perspective.

Termination Shock doesn't disappoint in either account

Not great

I thought this book was pretty lackluster. Compared to his other books I thought the story was dull. As usual, another book with strong female characters.

Light on suspense heavy on science

Not his most action - packed book, but the science he lays out is fascinating all on its own.