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Zodiac by Neal Stephenson
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Zodiac (original 1988; edition 1995)

by Neal Stephenson

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4,096482,902 (3.63)56
Sangamon Taylor is spreading the word about corporations piping toxic wastes into the water from his 40-horsepower Zodiac raft. Now, he's wanted by the FBI, the Mafia, and a group of Satan-worshipping drug dealers--the least of his problems. Because somewhere out there is an unhinged genetic engineer and a lab concocted bacterium that could destroy all ocean life.… (more)
Member:Gregzilla
Title:Zodiac
Authors:Neal Stephenson
Info:Spectra (1995), Paperback, 320 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:**1/2
Tags:Fiction, Science Fiction, Novel

Work Information

Zodiac by Neal Stephenson (1988)

  1. 00
    The Voice of the Butterfly by John Nichols (ShelfMonkey)
  2. 11
    The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (CKmtl)
    CKmtl: Fans of one of these works of Ecological SF may enjoy the other.
  3. 00
    The River Why by David James Duncan (Benbreep)
    Benbreep: Both have environmental themes. Duncan is an even better writer than Stephenson (who is one of my favorite authors). The River Why is not a thriller, but like Stephenson, includes a lot a paragraphs that you want to read over again and appreciate for its craftsmanship. Great to read out loud with a spouse. My favorite novel.… (more)
  4. 00
    The Business by Iain Banks (themulhern)
    themulhern: A mystery unfolds, an acerbic and capable protagonist, technology, money and social observations.
  5. 00
    The Rosetta Man by Claire McCague (quartzite)
    quartzite: Reminded me of early Stephenson, and features a Zodiac at one point. Cmplex story of first contact with a light comedic tone covering some serious science and with strong, smart characters.
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» See also 56 mentions

English (47)  French (1)  All languages (48)
Showing 1-5 of 47 (next | show all)
Probably just me on this one... Seemed well enough written, but just too wacky. solid off the wall cracks end up being too much to continue ( )
  acb13adm | Sep 13, 2023 |
Ok, I'm now a died-in-the-wool (whatever that means) Stephenson enthusiast. According to Goodreads, there're 14 editions of this - so it must be popular. Lardy how I HATE liking popular things! Nonetheless, I like it. Yeah, yeah, Stephenson's sortof a cross between Pynchon & Robert Anton Wilson - I reckon w/ some Rudy Rucker tossed in. There's plenty of murder & mayhem in here to suck in yr average thrill-seeker but there's also enuf precocious exposing of ecoactivists being labelled 'terrrorists' by the omnipresent unscrupulous to earn this a high rating. The protaganist is yet-another classic superhero slob - a role model for public-good-minded psychopaths (like myself). Basically, I cd've hardly rooted for him more. Now it's time to get back to LIVING like these characters instead of just getting off on reading about them. ( )
  tENTATIVELY | Apr 3, 2022 |
Only the second Neal Stephenson novel, it does have a bit of the caped crusader, but still a ripping yarn with our protagonist fighting to take down big chemical companies in Boston polluting the bay. A mix of believable interaction and supporting characters with well researched chemical sciency background for the chlorine pollutants, but some real stretches in the biological stuff the bad guys create. Better than I had feared, recommended. ( )
  Matt_B | Jan 15, 2022 |
Interesting story, fast paced. Eco-activism / terrorism - sometimes when systems fail, it really does take concerned citizens to break things open, the system doesn't always work.

Lots of anti-corporate / greedy /irresponsible capitalist tropes. Those are sometimes deserved, but more often not, especially these days - big corporations do more training and take more caution about the slightest of spills than anyone (having worked for several). A small car repair shop is probably responsible for more improperly disposed waste than many multi-national industrial companies.

Don't think the possibility of the story is super credible otherwise, there are some issues with the chemistry on a first glance, but it was entertaining. ( )
  jercox | Jun 2, 2021 |
Environmental activism that actually makes a difference. That's the core of this book, and it's a great read! You will learn fascinating things. ( )
  donblanco | Jan 4, 2021 |
Showing 1-5 of 47 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (11 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Neal Stephensonprimary authorall editionscalculated
Jensen, BruceCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Norman, AxNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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Epigraph
Down by the river,

Down by the banks of the River Charles

That's where you'll find me

Along with muggers, lovers and thieves

Well I love that dirty water,

Oh Boston, you're my home.

      
-- THE INMATES
Dedication
TO ELLEN
First words
Roscommon came and laid waste to the garden an hour after dawn, about the time I usually get out of bed and he usually passes out on the shoulder of some freeway.
Quotations
Normally I never do nitrous before breakfast, but I couldn't refuse Bart a thing in the world, so I took the bag and inhaled as deep as I could.
Sangamon's Principle:

The simpler the molecule, the better the drug. So the best drug is oxygen. Only two atoms. The second-best, nitrous oxide -- a mere three atoms. The third best, ethanol -- nine. Past that, you're talking lots of atoms. Atoms are like people. Get lots of them together, never know what they'll do.
Now that I'd seen the faces of the people who were trying to scare me, I was a lot less scared, and a lot more interested. Maybe they were really making PCP, or maybe they had some other nasty secret. When I got back from Buffalo, I'd have to find out, and do these people some damage. In the meantime, I'd have to content myself with charging up tens of thousands of dollars' worth of lingerie on their credit card number.
Most of my colleagues go on backpacking trips when they have to do some thinking. I go to a good hardware store and head for the oiliest, dustiest corners. I strike up conversations with the oldest people who work there, we talk about machine vs. carriage bolts and whether to use a compression or a flare fitting. If they're really good, they don't hassle me. They let me wander around and think. Young hardware clerks have a lot of hubris. They think they can help you find anything and they ask a lot of stupid questions in the process. Old hardware clerks have learned the hard way that nothing in a hardware store ever gets bought for its nominal purpose. You buy something that was designed to do one thing, and you use it for another.
I don't like sewing machines. I don't understand how a needle with a thread going through the tip of it can interlock the thread by jamming itself into a little goddamn spool. It's contrary to nature and it irritates me.
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Sangamon Taylor is spreading the word about corporations piping toxic wastes into the water from his 40-horsepower Zodiac raft. Now, he's wanted by the FBI, the Mafia, and a group of Satan-worshipping drug dealers--the least of his problems. Because somewhere out there is an unhinged genetic engineer and a lab concocted bacterium that could destroy all ocean life.

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