Zodiac: Stephenson, Neal: 9780553573862: Amazon.com: Books

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Neal Stephenson

Zodiac Paperback – July 1, 1995

by Neal Stephenson (Author)

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Sangamon Taylor's a New Age Sam Spade who sports a wet suit instead of a trench coat and prefers Jolt from the can to Scotch on the rocks. He knows about chemical sludge the way he knows about evil -- all too intimately. And the toxic trail he follows leads to some high and foul places. Before long Taylor's house is bombed, his every move followed, he's adopted by reservation Indians, moves onto the FBI's most wanted list, makes up with his girlfriend, and plays a starring role in the near-assassination of a presidential candidate. Closing the case with the aid of his burnout roomate, his tofu-eating comrades, three major networks, and a range of unconventional weaponry, Sangamon Taylor pulls off the most startling caper in Boston Harbor since the Tea Party. As he navigates this ecological thriller with hardboiled wit and the biggest outboard motor he can get his hands on, Taylor reveals himself as one of the last of the white-hatted good guys in a very toxic world.

Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Spectra
Publication date

July 1, 1995
Dimensions

4.16 x 0.82 x 6.87 inches
ISBN-10

0553573861
ISBN-13

978-0553573862
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Neal Stephenson
5,981
Hardcover
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$10.32 shipping
Neal Stephenson
1,601
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$14.99
$9.17 shipping
Neal Stephenson
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Hardcover
$21.15
Get it as soon as Thursday, Oct 20
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Customer reviews

5 star		49%
4 star		33%
3 star		13%
2 star		3%
1 star		2%

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A Really Good Read

Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2022

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This is typical Neal Stephenson. It’s complex, well-paced and has a bang-up ending. Its a little slow in the middle but the rest is well worth waiting for. It’s dated, with no cell-phones or internet but that just makes it better.

One person found this helpful

P. D. HENDERSON

This is why we can't have nice things

Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2018

Verified Purchase

I got because I had read Cryptonomicon and Snow Crash and loved them both, even though they were very different. I didn't realize that this is a very old early work of his and it isn't quite as good. His writing has definitely improved since then.

It's not BAD, though. Just not as good as I expected.

The book is set in (I'm guessing) around the early 90s. There are payphones, answering machines use cassette tape, and hybrid cars don't seem to exist yet. So there's a bit of a mind bender in that it's sort of sci-fi set in the past. The genre is SciFi, but it's of that subset of SciFi that's really mundane-fi with a lot of science added on. In some ways that makes it more "pure" SciFi than the rest, but in another way it's almost not really SciFi at all. So bear that in mind if that's something that matters to you. The science in this case is biology, chemistry, and environmental science. And it's realistic science, or seemed so to me. Dumbed down for civilians, of course. Other reviewers have claimed it was error ridden, but I didn't see it. The writing style reminds me somewhat of a less focused William Gibson.

The book is only 300 pages, but it feels much longer. It's a little preachy, and long-winded at times, but I never felt inclined to skip ahead. So it mostly works. I think it would have been better if it were shorter but I'm not too sure what parts would be the extra so it's hard to say for sure.

The plot is okay, but just okay. It's kind of a plodder, they just keep doing the same thing over and over until they finally get it right. But there's conflict and action, and even (possibly fake) Mafia hitmen and Satan worshipping teenage psychopaths and other random stressors that make it seem new most of the time.

I've never been to Boston, so I can't say how accurate the descriptions are. They certainly weren't detailed enough that I feel I know the city any better now than before. For a SciFi novel it was actually remarkably dry of imagery. (And that's a bad pun considering that half the book takes place on water).

Overall I'd say I can recommend it only with serious reservations. If you're already a Stephenson fan then it is worth getting to round out your collection. But if you're new to this author then read his other stuff first.

21 people found this helpful

A really funny and interesting story, told impressively well.

Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2017

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I bought this book because I simply adored Seveneves and I wanted to read more from the same author. In principle I prefer to read space sci fi, especially hard core, and honestly, I hate chemistry. It is probably my least loved science, in high school beaten only by geography (though that's not science, lol). But after scrolling trough the reviews I decided to give it a try and man, this book doesn't disappoint. It grabbed me from the first page. It's funny, smart, crazy, scientific (as far as my knowledge of chemistry goes) AND it's written well. In fact, since I was reading it after reading somebody's 1st self-published novel, I was in mild shock. The writing was so much better, the characters so much more realistic, the plot so much more evolved. It was a real book!
In short, the main character is a genius toxic detective working for some suspicious ecological organization, who dives into toxic waste in between smoking nitrous and driving his cool Zodiac boat (I had to google that). The time is the late 80s, when fun was still possible and we weren't living under constant internet observation. The plot develops a bit late for my taste, but it's ok, because the first 50 pages are just as fun, because the characters are so interesting and entertaining. The detective is after some major toxic waste dump in Boston harbor and from then on, it's a crazy chase with the big corporations, their greed and their cruelty. And saving the world, of course.
What I loved the book for, is the personalities of the characters. Congratulations on the author for that, because he created a masterpiece with them. The chemistry is also solid enough, I had to google some of the things to make sure they are correct and the biggest surprise of all, that book actually made me want to remember some of the high school chemistry. Which I think is quite cool. Towards the end the book really becomes science fiction, but still the fiction is not unbearably unrealistic.
I recommend this book to anyone who appreciates interesting and entertaining stories written really well.
P.S. I'm little disappointed that the Sagamon Principle didn't go as far as Oxygen. I mean, it's simpler than NO2.

4 people found this helpful

Top reviews from other countries

D Smith

A 'must read' for fans - an average story otherwise, but with some great set-pieces!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 1, 2022

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A 'must read' for fans - an average story otherwise, but with some great set-pieces!

If you've read Stephenson's later books, you'll be delighted to read this one; his second published novel from 1988.

There's a lot of humour, and a sympathetic protagonist who takes on corrupt Big Business in his efforts to thwart their polluting of Boston Harbour.

Some of the set pieces are very well drawn; he outwits an executive on live television; he uses chemistry to gain access to a guarded boat moored at the dock.

And, of course, he navigates the bay undetected in his Zodiac inflatable dingy...

The message is even more relevant today - which is tragic given that he wrote this more than thirty years ago.

It's an interesting read, too, if you first read 'The Big U' - his first published novel. It gives you a glimpse into his development as a writer.

There are signals to what a great novelist he would become; in the light of having read his later books, this slightly uneven story (although enjoyable in it's own right), takes on a new significance.

One person found this helpful

Diaze Jam. - Jamie McGregor

Excellent.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 20, 2019

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I'm at the stage in my book reading journey, where all the big titles have been read, re-read and read again, that I find myself hunting all works from one of about 20 of my favourite authors. This is one of those books, a little gem hiding away almost lost by being overshadowed by much more current and well known books. This is a great tale, paced well and at times is easy to smash through. The parallels with the real world, not just in its geography, but in its politics and environmental message for all is as relevant now as it was when it was written. Well worth a read, as a sci-fi buff it made for a welcome change to be carried along on an earthly story.

3 people found this helpful

hokers

If Neal Stephenson wrote a Clive Cussler novel, but Dirk Pitt was a biologist eco-warrior,

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2020

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...this would be it.
This is the period when he wrote a single threaded linear story and it's honestly really easy to read and enjoyable.
It's not on a par with his very best stuff (Anathem, Cryptomomicon, Diamond Age) but it's very good, good holiday read.

One person found this helpful

angela

Consistent quality, slightly different direction.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 7, 2019

Verified Purchase

Not sorry I tried this book - a little different in subject matter but I like reading this author and wasn’t disappointed. Gripping adventure, some very thoughtful content and a science lesson- oh maybe not such a departure after all.

One person found this helpful

SarahC

Great book for the 80's.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 6, 2014

Verified Purchase

I was so pleased to pick up a copy of this classic, its a great story. If you like Michael Chrichton's Next or Prey, give this a try.

One person found this helpful

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