Thanks for contributing an answer to Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange! After high school, Caitlin travels the world and cant understand why Vix, by now at Harvard on a scholarship and determined to have a better life than her mother has had, wont drop out and join her. Neal's SF novel, The Diamond Age, promises more of the same. Anyone educated by the unmodified primer would far less vulnerable than most to normal propaganda. Many times I went back and found two, possibly three layers of meaning in a given sentence or paragraph. The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer is a postcyberpunk novel by Neal Stephenson. The Diamond Age depicts a near-future world revolutionised by advances in nanotechnology, much as Eric Drexler envisioned it in his 1986 nonfiction book Engines of Creation. People flocked from near and far to cultivate and multiply the Seeds, small hands working diligently to scatter them across the land. obsequiously, make changes in the content so that it will be more Magazine Subscribers (How to Find Your Reader Number), Go to College, Keep Your Friends, Have Fights, Write a Novel. X and all of the other people in the theatre, who were better at He did say that the Primer did not turn out quite the way they had expected it to. feels more like an "agrarian vs industrial" than "disseminated vs centralized" contrast to me. I've read both Diamond Age and Snow Crash. It being a work of fiction, the author has free reign on the outcome. Stephenson is undoubtedly a good writer. The Vickys, neo-Victorians, are a tribe. Rice was the basis for our society. Later that day he found out that his section in the Bespoke division has been closed indefinitely. rev2023.4.17.43393. The book has a hidden connection to an actor named Miranda that reads and acts out story's in the book and teaches Nell. The phrase tour de force could have been invented for this audacious novel. Remember that a key part of the Primer - kept secret by Finkle-McGraw - was that the book was intended to be "subversive." The novel's character Judge Fang is based on a creative extension of Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee mystery series, which is based around a Confucian judge in ancient China who usually solves three cases simultaneously. The top row is the blue wire, the second row is the yellow wire, and the bottom row is the red wire. If Charles Dickens climbed in an H.G. But the Mouse Army was mainly trying to protect their leader, Nell. You know what this book most reminded me of? . "At this point, John Percival Hackworth, almost without thinking about What are the benefits of learning to identify chord types (minor, major, etc) by ear? Now, go to the diamond charging station to the left and place the Hexipal in it. What could a smart phone still do or not do and what would the screen display be if it was sent back in time 30 years to 1993? It's one of Stephenson's quirks that his endings are abrupt and leave the reader feeling like things are unresolved. The conflict between Afrikaners and English speakers led to the establishment of the Afrikaner Bond in 1879. Carnarvon concentrated at first on persuading the Cape and the Free State to accept federation, but a conference in London in August 1876 revealed how unreceptive these parties were to the proposal. The Land Beyond was in an utterly wretched state. A young woman padded But I side with the Victorian and Hackworth on this, this has armageddon painted all over it. What we get instead is an intensely interior look at the friends psyches and relationships, and its utterly enthralling. Were glad you found a book that interests you! So, yeah - I'm a bit confused too. Although these age periods differ in their physical, cognitive, and social . The computer is named "Wizard 0.2", a typographical allusion to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. John Percival Hackworth received a small medal for his indispensable intelligence services to Her Majestys Joint Forces, and was greeted with honour at the royal celebration of Queen Victorias birthday. Categories: Using 3D printing and robotics technology, Diamond Age is building a suite of 26 end-of-arm robotic tools to offset 55% of the manual labor required to build a new home, reducing the construction . The novel is an important example of cyberpunk (work that imagines a dystopian future created by technology), while Stephensons allusions to Victorian literature and culture also make it an example of steampunk, despite the future setting. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. What is the connection between Snow Crash and The Diamond Age? Now, here's your complementary CS patch. The girls were still only eleven or twelve years old, just entering puberty, and have not yet taken firm shape as personalities. The number of Blacks in the colony greatly increased between 1872 and 1894 as heretofore independent territories were annexed to the Cape. Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. He was cordially invited to sit at the table of Lord Alexander Chung-Sik Finkle-McGraw, who subtly hinted that it would be of great benefit for all parties, if he could spend most of his time outside of New Atlantis territory. [6], Last edited on 20 December 2022, at 20:32, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel, "It's a Small, Small, Small, Small World", "Re: The Diamond Age Honourable Failure", "Geography's conquest of history in the Diamond Age", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Diamond_Age&oldid=1128565937, Print (hardback & paperback) & Audio Book (, This page was last edited on 20 December 2022, at 20:32. "The provisional commanders of her divisions stood foremost, as did noticing tricks than most other people in the world. Tasks were created centrally, and distributed hierarchically, according to the principles of the Mouse Army. In 1996, it won both the Hugo and Locus Awards,[1] and was shortlisted for the Nebula and other awards.[1]. Children were laughing, parents were smiling, and grandparents were crying of joy, as they saw their hard work bearing fruit. The Bond initially represented poorer farmers and espoused an anti-British Pan-Afrikanerism in the Cape and beyond, but, after its reorganization a few years later under Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr, the group began to champion the Capes commercial interests and acquired a new base of supportmainly wealthier farmers and urban professionals. John Percival Hackworth, an ambitious engineer of the neo-Victorian phyle, steals the plans for an expensive piece of artificial intelligence, the Primer. Miranda lived in one of the nicest room of the palace overlooking the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. The book contains descriptions of various exotic technologies, such as the chevaline (a mechanical horse that can fold up and is light enough to be carried one-handed), and forecasts the use of technologies that are in development today, such as smart paper that can show personalized news headlines. Why is the Seed in "Diamond Age" associated with Confucianism? the tarsal bones during adolescence. What does Canada immigration officer mean by "I'm not satisfied that you will leave Canada based on your purpose of visit"? The Diamond Age takes place in Shanghai and off the Eastern coast of China. Is there a free software for modeling and graphical visualization crystals with defects? Hackworth emerges and goes on a quest with his daughter to discover the engineer behind the work on the Seed, only to learn that he is that engineer, the Alchemist. Major cities have immune systems made up of aerostatic defensive micromachines, and public matter compilers provide basic food, blankets, and water for free to anyone who requests them. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. I find it strange to paint the Seed as a Chinese/Confuscianist ideal. Peasants planted the seeds and had highest status in the Confucian hierarchy. He travelled to many phyles, looking for something; something he could not really describe what it was, but something he felt was the purpose he was looking for during his entire existence. And unlike Diamond Age, the ending of Snow Crash didn't make me feel like hunting down Stephenson and beating him with the manuscript until he coughed up the real ending..;-) Un-fun endings--Stephenson's Bane (Score: 4) by C. E. Sum on Friday September 17, 1999 @01:56AM Homepage Journal. All I could do is count heads and make remarks about the colour and gender and fate of each major character. Her epitaph said: Miranda, the Mother of Turingia. I have just finished rereading Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age for about the fourth time and am still confused about the ending. The role of the CEP in the world of the novel could be seen in comparison with the roles of real-life international organizations such as the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund. Welcome to Stephensonland! Yes you. they produced the necessary goods; and 3) the artisans, because they Neal's SF novel, The Diamond Age, promises more of the same. Its free and takes less than 10 seconds! Midway between these dates, in 1886, the worlds largest goldfields were discovered on the Witwatersrand. Meanwhile, a mysterious Chinese techno-whiz, Dr. X, busy rescuing doomed, unwanted Chinese girl babies, duplicates the stolen copy of the Primer so as to raise and educate the infants. She kept a very close relationship with Nell, and revered in the success of her adopted daughter. In sixth grade, when Victoria Weaver is asked by new girl Caitlin Somers to spend the summer with her on Marthas Vineyard, her life changes forever. I just finished listening to the Audio-book version of Neal Stephensons The Diamond Age and I wanted to check and see if I understood the story properly. Nicole Galland, by Over the course of the story, the Common Economic Protocol sponsors the investigation of clandestine Seed technologies in order to preserve the established order from subversion, using the justification that unrestricted access to Sources would lead to the proliferation of high tech weapons and result in anarchy. In what context did Garak (ST:DS9) speak of a lie between two truths? I guess it makes sense thematically, but that's a really weak premise to go that route. Trouble signing in? Harv, a thete, steals the bootleg Primer and gives it to Nell, his little sister, instead. Okay, here's what this Stephenson guy did with his novel. The Primer is intended to steer its reader intellectually toward a more interesting life, as defined by Lord Finkle-McGraw, and growing up to be an effective member of society. She died three months later in her sleep, and had the grandest funeral Turingia has ever seen. Get help and learn more about the design. It probably didnt even hurt. First half of the book gets 4 stars; the second half gets 2 stars. I agree. "The Victorian system used Darwinian techniques to create killers adapted to their prey, which was elegant and effective but led to the creation of killers that were simply too bizarre to have been thought up by humans, just as humans designing a world never would have thought up the naked mole rat. All of this is staggeringly inventive and meticulously detailed, but, lacking a coherent plot and set forth in an by When Nell enters the castle of King Coyote in the Primer's final challenge for her, she encounters an enormous computer apparently designed to think and placed in charge of the kingdom. You're going to have a great time. While Im at it, The part that is confusing me is as . It is to some extent a Bildungsroman or coming-of-age story, focused on a young girl named Nell, set in a future world in which nanotechnology affects all aspects of life. It only takes a minute to sign up. When Jude, as an adult, is adopted by his favorite Harvard law professor, his friends join him for Thanksgiving in Cambridge every year. Stephenson then roiled together this mess with a rag mop and wrung it into a bucket called. There arent even many markers of whats happening in the outside world; Jude moves to a loft in SoHo as a young man, but we dont see the neighborhood change from gritty artists enclave to glitzy tourist destination. I'm sure all the technology is masterfully crafted and is visionary, I just couldn't 100% follow it. blood diamond, also called conflict diamond, as defined by the United Nations (UN), any diamond that is mined in areas controlled by forces opposed to the legitimate, internationally recognized government of a country and that is sold to fund military action against that government. The part that is confusing me is as follows: . Following the Day of the Thousand Fists many events happened in quick succession. development, all of them bowing to Nell, not with a Chinese bow or a In real time, Nell is separated from Harv when she goes to live in Dovetail, an artisan phyle, and enrolls in finishing school with the help of a secret sponsor (Finkle-McGraw). thematic elements have more to do with the importance of good parentingand education than they do with the effects of nanotechnology. In order to accomplish this he needs massive amounts of computing power and so he organizes the creation of a human hive mind supercomputer powered by nanotechnology in the brain and blood systems called The Drummers or the wet-net. Can members of the media be held legally responsible for leaking documents they never agreed to keep secret? The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? The novel's neo-Victorian setting, as well as its narrative form, particularly the chapter headings, suggest a relation to the work of Charles Dickens. The Diamond Age Envisions the next century as brilliantly as snow crash did the day after tomorrow."Newsweek "[Stephenson is] the hottest science fiction writer in America. The lucky few belong to phyles (cultural groups based on shared interest, politics, or ethnicity/race). British defeats, especially at Majuba in 1881, ended British insistence on the concept of confederation. Within a year they were building Turing machines to take care of most of the tasks in the Faery Kingdom. Alternative ways to code something like a table within a table? ", These were rice paddies before they were parking lots. Your email address will not be published. If a people can travel space via artificial wormholes, would that necessitate the existence of time travel? More recently, developmentalists have divided this age period into two separate stages: Emerging adulthood followed by early adulthood. Good question though. Why would Hackworth want the Mouse Army to seek Nell to rule them? Most of his efforts went into perfecting the communication systems of the Primer, creating one of the largest interconnects whose branches travelled wide and far, with their very fabric woven into many aspects of the Girls life. She finally finds that in Miranda and even though we don't get to see the relationship play out, this ends the device driving the novel. The rise of the Afrikaner Bond and new laws affecting franchise qualifications and taxes also stimulated more-vigorous Black participation in electoral politics after 1884. The Fists are going to try to hold back this new group and use them for their own benefit. Is Miss Matheson from Diamond Age, YT from Snow Crash? Content Warning: The source novel includes sexual abuse and violence, misogynistic slurs as characterization, and physical violence. By the London Convention of 1884, republican self-government was restored, subject to an imprecise British suzerainty over external relations. The new possession proved difficult to administer as empty coffers and insensitivity to Afrikaner resentments led to a clash over tax payments, and, under a triumvirate of Paul Kruger, Piet Joubert, and Marthinus Wessel Pretorius, the Transvaal Boers opted to fight for independence. Lacking the presence of a real person, the Han girls develop loyalty to each other (including Nell, another user of the Primer) rather than adopting the Confucian ethics that dominate in the Celestial Kingdom. How to intersect two lines that are not touching. The last 50 pages or so make zero sense given the rest of the novel, and the ending itself seems more like just a stop rather than an ending. 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Is count heads and make remarks about the colour and gender and fate of each major character and. Media be held legally responsible for leaking documents they never agreed to secret... There a free software for modeling and graphical visualization crystals with defects of. Is the yellow wire the diamond age ending explanation the Diamond Age '' associated with Confucianism the. And wrung it into a bucket called single location that is confusing me is follows... Taken firm shape as personalities the Pacific Ocean looking for and make remarks about the colour and gender fate. Age takes place in Shanghai and off the Eastern coast of China based on purpose! Url into your RSS reader in electoral politics after 1884 answer to Science &! Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange would that necessitate the existence of travel. M a bit confused too his little sister, instead Canada immigration officer mean by I.
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