By
Neil Stephenson
This is a indescribably ambitious novel that spans
time from a commercialized future America of warring fiefdom franchises
to ancient Sumerian myths, tying them all together with knowledge viruses.
It's a little crazy go nuts.
But the best part is the two main characters. Hiro Protagonist is a master swordsman, ninja pizza deliverer for the Mob, and one of the original hacker designers of the Metaverse, a virtual reality Internet (an amazing, well-thought-through concept that will surely shortly come true.) But Y.T. is an even cooler invention. A cute spunky teenage skateboard Grrrrrl, she "poons" cars with a giant magnet and essentially water-skis down highways to deliver urgent packages. Think of Avril Lavigne with short, bright hair, fewer stupid ties, and more endearingness, less cliche.
Together they've got the right mix of tech, luck, and pure moxie to take on the Mob, the Feds, an evil genius Texas tycoon ... and a badass giant Aleutian with real harpoons and a nuclear bomb in his motorcycle's sidecar.
It's confusing at first, but then picks up speed until you feel like you're Y.T. pooning a helicopter. Try it!