A collection of writings, essays, short stories, magazine articles, interviews, etc. … by Neal Stephenson, my favorite author. I found this to be a fascinating read across the board, whether he’s writing science fiction or discussing technical topics such as laying submarine cable along the bottom of the ocean. This guy knows so many interesting things and has a unique way of expressing them …

… for example, in “The Spew”, a story about a near-future where people are hacking into what is basically an Internet connection, in order to enjoy an evening of illegal heavy VR (virtual reality) music, he says, of one character jumping up and down on a bed while dancing with VR goggles on:

“You are rocking out. I have never seen anyone dance like this. You have churned the bedspread and pillows into sufferin’ succotash.”

Now, who would think to express it like that? Invoking Yosemite Sam in all his wild-eyed glory, evoking the reader’s childhood joy and expressing the emotion perfectly.