Comments on: Neal Stephenson’s Anathem and Music http://www.openbuddha.com/2008/06/24/anathem-and-music/ Open Source Buddhism, Technology, and Geekery Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:22:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: FraaFletcher http://www.openbuddha.com/2008/06/24/anathem-and-music/comment-page-1/#comment-424423 FraaFletcher Fri, 05 Dec 2008 07:53:06 +0000 http://www.arcanology.com/?p=2249#comment-424423 I just finished it and also found it quite enjoyable. I don't understand at all the few negative reviews I've read. It's like they were reading some other novel entirely. It's not an easy read at times, no. That's in part due to the invented proper nouns. Which is fine to me, it would be weird if an alien world called Hilbert space Hilbert space. So Neil teaches us what "Hemn space" is, giving us a primer on real science and introducing the term. In fact, I seem to remember a Doctor Who episode from the late 70's where Adric asks Nyssa (two aliens, neither one from Earth) if she has tried a "Fourier analysis" on the thing she's working on. This bugged the heck out of me. How the heck does Adric know who Fourier was? It's also hard to read due to the heavy amount of scientific concepts involved. If you've read books on physics, even ones for the casual reader, that talk about uncertainty, wave function collapse, etc, then you will just "get" what Neil is talking about without a whole lot of trouble. I understood 99.99% of the concepts laid out, and correlated them directly to Earthly science concepts. I wonder how many people will be able to do that. But this is why I love NS. He does not shy away from using advanced science and technology concepts, and manages not to do too much hand-waving to explain stuff. Of course there is some hand-waving. There must be at least a little I believe - if a book sticks exactly to real science, the story would only be something in the realm of current possibility on Earth. And what fun is that? To the naysayers and detractors who obviously haven't even finish it (I'm looking at you, page 8) I repeat a great comment on slashdot about this book (paraphrasing): go back and watch your Die Hard speelies, you ignorant sline! I just finished it and also found it quite enjoyable.

I don't understand at all the few negative reviews I've read. It's like they were reading some other novel entirely.

It's not an easy read at times, no. That's in part due to the invented proper nouns. Which is fine to me, it would be weird if an alien world called Hilbert space Hilbert space. So Neil teaches us what "Hemn space" is, giving us a primer on real science and introducing the term. In fact, I seem to remember a Doctor Who episode from the late 70's where Adric asks Nyssa (two aliens, neither one from Earth) if she has tried a "Fourier analysis" on the thing she's working on. This bugged the heck out of me. How the heck does Adric know who Fourier was?

It's also hard to read due to the heavy amount of scientific concepts involved. If you've read books on physics, even ones for the casual reader, that talk about uncertainty, wave function collapse, etc, then you will just "get" what Neil is talking about without a whole lot of trouble. I understood 99.99% of the concepts laid out, and correlated them directly to Earthly science concepts. I wonder how many people will be able to do that.

But this is why I love NS. He does not shy away from using advanced science and technology concepts, and manages not to do too much hand-waving to explain stuff. Of course there is some hand-waving. There must be at least a little I believe – if a book sticks exactly to real science, the story would only be something in the realm of current possibility on Earth. And what fun is that?

To the naysayers and detractors who obviously haven't even finish it (I'm looking at you, page 8) I repeat a great comment on slashdot about this book (paraphrasing): go back and watch your Die Hard speelies, you ignorant sline!

]]> By: Al Billings http://www.openbuddha.com/2008/06/24/anathem-and-music/comment-page-1/#comment-415851 Al Billings Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:34:53 +0000 http://www.arcanology.com/?p=2249#comment-415851 I'm not sure why you feel so strongly that it was bad. I quite enjoyed the book and I, personally, know a number of others who have enjoyed it as well. I'm not sure why you feel so strongly that it was bad. I quite enjoyed the book and I, personally, know a number of others who have enjoyed it as well.

]]> By: BODO http://www.openbuddha.com/2008/06/24/anathem-and-music/comment-page-1/#comment-415848 BODO Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:15:42 +0000 http://www.arcanology.com/?p=2249#comment-415848 I absolutely loved Cryptonomicon and enjoyed the Trilogy, BUT this Anathem is 100% unreadable. The worst mess in print that I have every come across. I read eight pages and it was an agony.<br><br>I hope Neal has gone totally mad. It would be the only excuse possible. Why did the editors not shut this down? Greed? One last burn of his fan base? I absolutely loved Cryptonomicon and enjoyed the Trilogy, BUT this Anathem is 100% unreadable. The worst mess in print that I have every come across. I read eight pages and it was an agony.

I hope Neal has gone totally mad. It would be the only excuse possible. Why did the editors not shut this down? Greed? One last burn of his fan base?

]]> By: Stanley Lieber http://www.openbuddha.com/2008/06/24/anathem-and-music/comment-page-1/#comment-380386 Stanley Lieber Sun, 21 Sep 2008 05:12:35 +0000 http://www.arcanology.com/?p=2249#comment-380386 You can stream the tracks from Neal's website, here:<br><br><a href="http://www.nealstephenson.com/anathem/music.htm">http://www.nealstephenson.com/anathem/music.htm</a> You can stream the tracks from Neal's website, here:

http://www.nealstephenson.com/anathem/music.htm

]]> By: dan http://www.openbuddha.com/2008/06/24/anathem-and-music/comment-page-1/#comment-359326 dan Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:36:25 +0000 http://www.arcanology.com/?p=2249#comment-359326 I would love to hear some of this music - are there any preview clips on the Web before the CD comes out? <br><br>Btw, there is some connection to Brian Eno here - Eno has also created an album which donates its proceeds to the Long Now foundation, as is the case with Stutz's CD...<br><br><a href="http://www.longnow.org/shop/prints-cds/bells-cd.php">http://www.longnow.org/shop/prints-cds/bells-cd...</a> I would love to hear some of this music – are there any preview clips on the Web before the CD comes out?

Btw, there is some connection to Brian Eno here – Eno has also created an album which donates its proceeds to the Long Now foundation, as is the case with Stutz's CD…

http://www.longnow.org/shop/prints-cds/bells-cd...

]]> By: Bookhling http://www.openbuddha.com/2008/06/24/anathem-and-music/comment-page-1/#comment-356951 Bookhling Thu, 21 Aug 2008 05:20:11 +0000 http://www.arcanology.com/?p=2249#comment-356951 You got the Librarything ARC? I am so jealous. Enjoy the book, and make sure to put up a review when you're done. I'm dying to know how the book turned out.<br><br>As for the soundtrack, I wonder if they will include it with the normal prints of the books as well? You got the Librarything ARC? I am so jealous. Enjoy the book, and make sure to put up a review when you're done. I'm dying to know how the book turned out.

As for the soundtrack, I wonder if they will include it with the normal prints of the books as well?

]]> By: Al http://www.openbuddha.com/2008/06/24/anathem-and-music/comment-page-1/#comment-345882 Al Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:59:33 +0000 http://www.arcanology.com/?p=2249#comment-345882 I have actually been reading a couple of other things but it is on the list for the next week. I have actually been reading a couple of other things but it is on the list for the next week.

]]> By: Malla http://www.openbuddha.com/2008/06/24/anathem-and-music/comment-page-1/#comment-345871 Malla Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:39:22 +0000 http://www.arcanology.com/?p=2249#comment-345871 I just finished reading Anathem this week (also got an advance copy--love working in bookstores!) and I really like it. It is dense as heck with the mathematics, though. The music does help you get into Erasmas' world and understand his aesthetics. I'm curious to read your review! I just finished reading Anathem this week (also got an advance copy–love working in bookstores!) and I really like it. It is dense as heck with the mathematics, though. The music does help you get into Erasmas’ world and understand his aesthetics. I’m curious to read your review!

]]> By: Al http://www.openbuddha.com/2008/06/24/anathem-and-music/comment-page-1/#comment-338781 Al Sun, 03 Aug 2008 00:02:16 +0000 http://www.arcanology.com/?p=2249#comment-338781 It does have credits but Brian Eno has nothing to do with the CD. It was done by David Stutz. It does have credits but Brian Eno has nothing to do with the CD. It was done by David Stutz.

]]> By: Gwern http://www.openbuddha.com/2008/06/24/anathem-and-music/comment-page-1/#comment-338771 Gwern Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:57:53 +0000 http://www.arcanology.com/?p=2249#comment-338771 Out of curiosity, does it include CD credits? I'd bet Brian Eno appears somewhere in it, to tie in with the Long Now connection to _Anathema_. Out of curiosity, does it include CD credits? I’d bet Brian Eno appears somewhere in it, to tie in with the Long Now connection to _Anathema_.

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