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)

Read the book

The narrator was awkward. He put emphasis on odd words and was generally very unnatural sounding. The writing wasn't very skilled either. The story was ok though and the concepts of the book were very interesting. Overall, it's probably better to read this in book form and the comparison between human language and computer viruses is very interesting.

Nothing like it....

It defined Cyberpunk, and has never been surpassed. Period.

That being said, the character of YT is not a three dimensional person, and she is utterly psychologically invalid as a 15 year old. I guess this can be partially explained by the absurd notion common in the 80s that teens would just keep getting more and more promiscuous at younger and younger ages. Good ol' Neal hadn't hadn't seen the pendulum swing back in the NeoVictorian direction yet (to borrow his own term from the Diamond Age, where YT does in fact play a small but important roll!)

Never the less, this is a thought provoking and FUN book. Well worth the time, and the reader here is spot-on perfect.

Well Read

AWESOME NARRATOR! BULLSHIT PREMISE. GREAT WORLD TO BASE A CYBERPUNK RPG ON. Worth a listen.

Essential cyberpunk

What did you love best about Snow Crash?

This book has action, adventure, an intriguing sci-fi concept, and humor. A great performance keeps it moving forward at a quick pace. Essential reading for those interested in the cyberpunk genre, a great counterpoint to William Gibson's "Neuromancer."

Too close to home.

Wonderful story, but it's becoming less science fiction far to quickly. This book hits major notes on religion, corporations, government, and how technology changes the world we live in.

a good listen but a bit convoluted

I though it was a good listen. good Characters but it is a not convoluted and ends a bit abruptly. it doesn't explain itself very well.

Great story. I did not like the chapter dividers.

Overall the book was entertaining and fun. their are chapter dividers that are super annoying after the first 2 or 3.

Perfect narration, fantastic prose, original ideas

It's hard to find great, original Sci fi, but this is it - narrated in an extremely engaging fashion which fits perfectly with the phenomenal writing. You'll be gripped, immediately.

Very good story with mostly good presentation

I liked the key premise of viral information modeling. On the whole, the reader did a great job, with some noticeably uneven editing at spots and a confusing choice to include several book chapters in single audiobook chapters that I didn't like. My complaints are merely technical.

Enjoyable techno

What made the experience of listening to Snow Crash the most enjoyable?

Took a while to catch on that we were in a post apocalyptic technoverse - good story. I found the readings and exchanges between the character and the librarian a bit boring, overly long and they didn't further the story. Still - a good listen. No comparison to Daniel Suarez's novels though.