Recommendations for a fan of the Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson?

Fr Clint Power

I am coming to end of the Baroque Cycle (Quicksilver, The Confusion and The System of the World) by Neal Stephenson. I have enjoyed the series immensely. I was wondering if anyone has some recommendations for some similar books that I might also enjoy? I have a couple of his other books lined up and his new one Anathem sounds really promising.

Madou

You should check out Snow Crash by him as well, it's ridiculously good.

Carawaystick

and cryptonomicon too

Fr Clint Power

Thanks for the recommendations guys, I'm so impressed with the baroque cycle I will probably be adding all of his books to my queue. Keep the suggestions coming though!

FruitLover

I wasn't a big fan of Snow Crash, but Cryptonomicon is excellent. I'd also recommend The Diamond Age.

ixoy

'Diamond Age', 'Snow Crash' and 'Cryptonomicon' are all excellent but I think they're quite different to the Baroque cycle (particularly the first two). The Baroque cycle moved at a slower pace and was more philosophical and verbose.

'Cryptonomicon' is closer in all ways - indeed the Baroque cycle is somewhat of a prequel trilogy to it and the two share some common locations.

Fr Clint Power

ixoy wrote: »

'Diamond Age', 'Snow Crash' and 'Cryptonomicon' are all excellent but I think they're quite different to the Baroque cycle (particularly the first two). The Baroque cycle moved at a slower pace and was more philosophical and verbose.

'Cryptonomicon' is closer in all ways - indeed the Baroque cycle is somewhat of a prequel trilogy to it and the two share some common locations.

I will definitely give 'Cryptonomicon', 'Diamond Age' and 'Snow Crash' a go too, as I enjoy both the style and content of Stephenson's writing. I will probably start with Cryptonomicon as it seems to be the closest to the Baroque Cycle. I guess what I am really after though are books in the same vein as The Baroque Cycle i.e. hugely entertaining, erudite, and having a historical setting. Books that I have enjoyed that are along vaguely similar lines would be 'Baudolino' and 'The Name of the Rose' by Umberto Eco, 'Birds Without Wings' by Louis de Bernières and 'Q' by Luther Blisset.

I have a couple of more books on the shelf waiting to be read that I hope will be similar such as 'Quincunx' by Charles Palliser, 'The Crimson Petal and the White' by Michel Faber and 'The Love of Stones' by Tobias Hill.

randomguy

Really rate the Baroque Cycle as well - read them manically 3-in-a-row in less than a month. Cryptonomicon was also great, entertaining and bright. Didn't enjoy Snow Crash all that much, tbh.

Just thought of a book you might like if you are into intelligent historically-based fiction - have been meaning to re-read it myself, since I thought it was brilliant when I read it a few years ago:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Instance_of_the_Fingerpost

Fr Clint Power

randomguy wrote: »

Just thought of a book you might like if you are into intelligent historically-based fiction - have been meaning to re-read it myself, since I thought it was brilliant when I read it a few years ago:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Instance_of_the_Fingerpost

Thanks randomguy, believe it or not I have this at home waiting to be read too! I think it has just jumped a few places up in the queue