Book : Snowcrash

I had the option, and I was lazy on this one. I listened to Snowcrash on CD. At work. Yes, the book deserves more. But to be fair, I did rewind the time slider on iTunes during exciting or especially amusing parts so that I could listen to them again. It did not go in one ear and out the other. Mr. narrator and his fun voices saw to that.

I'm not sure where to categorically place Snowcrash. Thinking about it now, I would describe it as fresh, crisp (read: relevant) sci-fi for a relatively broad audience. You don't have to like science fiction to enjoy this story. It extracts subtle humor from present day corporate politics, suburban America, and today's youth culture, throws in anime-influenced action, and drops it in a future landscape believable enough to be disturbingly close yet fantastical enough to engage your imagination.

I (just now) recall when David first told me about the book, and when he told me that there was an Inuit character with a nuclear bomb in his motercycle's side car. That was how he chose to describe the book to me, which I will not argue with. However, his description conjured up images of my unsuccessful attempt to enjoy reading a Hitchhiker's Guide novel, and so I forgot about it. The tidbit certainly is one of the memorable parts of the book, but Snowcrash does more than make you laugh; the author has used his understanding of contemporary (pop/youth/hacker/international/corporate) culture to almost nonchalantly discuss some very relevant issues.