Bibliophilia: The Mongoliad: Book One – Neal Stephenson & Friends

The Mongoliad: Book One – Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear, Erik Bear, Joseph Brassey, E.D. deBirmingham, Cooper Moo and Mark Teppo

The only author out of this mob I knew was Stephenson, consistently one of my favourites. I don’t know the degree to which all the authors contributed, but it doesn’t feel like the work of 7 writers. Whether some were just there to add their knowledge of fighting techniques to make them sound plausible, whether they each inhabited one of the main characters, and one person did the plot outlining – I’m not sure. It seemed quite cohesive to me. 

Set in 1241, about a dozen western fighters, each drawn from a different fighting discipline, set out on a journey to assassinate Ögedei Khan, the son of the famous Genghis, in an effort to prevent the spread of the Mongol horde into Western Europe, and suffering the same ravages that befell Asia.

Running parallel to that is the story of Gansukh, a young Mongol warrior sent to Ögedei’s court by one of his brothers, in an effort to try to persuade him to stop drinking himself to death. Gansukh’s only real experience is riding horses on the steppes and slaughtering his opponents. He is inexperienced at navigating his way through the politics and treachery of the court, so he is assigned a tutor, Lian.

Gansukh’s fish out of water story is perhaps easier to relate to for the reader. The European champions, knights and warrior monks, maybe because of their numbers, aren’t quite as easy to distinguish or identify with. Their characters do flesh out a bit more as the story progresses, but it takes some time.

All in all I really enjoyed it. It’s fiction set against a historical backdrop, an epic quest with medieval fight scenes that are very well described and moves along at a good clip. 

Bibliophilia: The Diamond Age – Neal Stephenson

The Diamond Age: or A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer – Neal Stephenson

Like all of his books, this transcends just about everything else being created. Again, a book of incredible breadth, creating a world both wildly fantastical, yet eminently real. He creates worlds and characters and scenarios that are tangible, more so than any other author I can think of. The story switches back and forth between what is happening in the reality in the book and the adventures the main character Nell goes on in the Primer. But I have to say though that the ending I found the least satisfying of any book I can recall reading in quite some time.

Bibliophilia: Cryptonomicon – Neal Stephenson

Cryptonomicon – Neal Stephenson

Another massive novel from a huge talent. Combining history, geography, treasure hunting, sci-fi, cryptology, and probably a few other things I’m forgetting. Absolutely loved this novel.

Bibliophilia: Anathem – Neal Stephenson

Anathem – Neal Stephenson

I was very intrigued by this, but ultimately had to put it down to return to at a later date. The book is set in a whole other world, and having to learn all the terms and such, when I’m already trying to fill my head with a pile of arcane knowledge was too much. It’s not a novel that you can just dive right into and breeze through. It requires you to learn the language, customs and cultures of an alternate universe. I’ll get back into this when I have a week or two without any other pressing mental challenges.

I had to make several attempts at the Baroque Cycle. I kept getting side tracked, brushing up on the history of people like Newton, Wren, Leibniz, and a host of other figures, as well as delving in to the subject of physics. so I could have a better understanding of what I was reading. 

Bibliophilia: Reamde – Neal Stephenson

Reamde – Neal Stephenson

Another huge (1000 pages) novel from the brilliant Neal Stephenson. Bit too long perhaps, and not quite as richly complex as some of his others, but an enjoyable, sweeping thriller.