Ask HN: Has anyone here read Snow Crash?

2 pointsdoublemint22032y ago14 comments

14 comments

qp112y ago

I didn't like it. Preferred Vernor Vinge's Rainbows End with similar themes yet much less dystopic.

Yes, good book, but out of date. How many snow crashes have you seen? I can recall triggering them on retro computers like a Color Computer 3 running OS-9, and a Sun 3, but since then, hardware seems to have changed in a fundamental way that doesn't allow snow crashes.

doublemint2203OP2y ago

zero. most hardware is not something you can play with easily anymore. Everyone who knew how to do that grew up and put the hardware behind profitable walled gardens

jantypas22y ago

Of course, and as I recall, it had Perl code in it. Classic SciFi in the sense that you take reality, break one and only one rule, and see what happens as you move through time.

gregjor2y ago

Are you trying to ddos HN?

https://hn.algolia.com/?q=snow+crash

doublemint2203OP2y ago

where'd you find out about this algolia link? any other cool HN-adjacent tools that might not be well known?

slyall2y ago

That would be search window at the bottom of the main HN page.

You can use it to find the thread last week that points all the other HN secrets.

1 more reply

doublemint2203OP2y ago

lmao. noted

crazy how influential that little book is. funny enough, I grew up on Ready Player One, and by the time i got old enough to start seriously getting into tech, reading Snow Crash was like re-reading RP1 but if RP1 was actually a good story and not written by an incel copying Neal Stephenson.

Ernest Cline sux

doublemint2203OP2y ago

post now hidden; for my digital footprint's sake this was an off-handed late night comment expressing my disdain for poor writing in Ready Player 2 & personal thoughts on the novel.

jaggs2y ago

>> 'incel copying Neal Stephenson.' Wow.

2 more replies

giorgioz2y ago

Yes I've read Snow Crash, Diamond Age, Cryptonomicon, Fall; or, Dodge in Hell, Termination Shock and I'm currently reading Reamde

LargoLasskhyfv2y ago

Yes.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

14 comments

qp112y ago

I didn't like it. Preferred Vernor Vinge's Rainbows End with similar themes yet much less dystopic.

bediger40002y ago

doublemint2203OP2y ago

zero. most hardware is not something you can play with easily anymore. Everyone who knew how to do that grew up and put the hardware behind profitable walled gardens

jantypas22y ago

Of course, and as I recall, it had Perl code in it. Classic SciFi in the sense that you take reality, break one and only one rule, and see what happens as you move through time.

gregjor2y ago

Are you trying to ddos HN?

https://hn.algolia.com/?q=snow+crash

doublemint2203OP2y ago

where'd you find out about this algolia link? any other cool HN-adjacent tools that might not be well known?

slyall2y ago

That would be search window at the bottom of the main HN page.

You can use it to find the thread last week that points all the other HN secrets.

1 more reply

doublemint2203OP2y ago

lmao. noted

Ernest Cline sux

doublemint2203OP2y ago

post now hidden; for my digital footprint's sake this was an off-handed late night comment expressing my disdain for poor writing in Ready Player 2 & personal thoughts on the novel.

jaggs2y ago

>> 'incel copying Neal Stephenson.' Wow.

2 more replies

giorgioz2y ago

Yes I've read Snow Crash, Diamond Age, Cryptonomicon, Fall; or, Dodge in Hell, Termination Shock and I'm currently reading Reamde

LargoLasskhyfv2y ago

Yes.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse