by Neal Stephenson
from Grove Press
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Editorial ReviewZodiac, the brilliant second novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the The Baroque Cycle and Snow Crash, is now available from Grove Press. Meet Sangamon Taylor, 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 roommate, 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. Believe it or not, some readers find Zodiac even more fun than Neal Stephenson's defining 1990s cyberpunk novel, Snow Crash. Zodiac is set in Boston, and hero Sangamon Taylor (S. T.) ironically describes his hilarious exploits in the first person. S. T. is a modern superhero, a self-proclaimed Toxic Spiderman. With stealth, spunk, and the backing of GEE (a non-profit environmental group) as his weapons, S. T. chases down the bad guys with James Bond-like Zen. Cruising Boston Harbor with lab tests and scuba gear, S. T. rides in with the ecosystem cavalry on his 40-horsepower Zodiac raft. His job of tracking down poisonous runoff and embarrassing the powerful corporations who caused them becomes more sticky than usual; run-ins with a gang of satanic rock fans, a deranged geneticist, and a mysterious PCB contamination that may or may not be man-made--plus a falling-out with his competent ("I adore stress") girlfriend--all complicate his mission. Stephenson/S. T.'s irreverent, facetious, esprit-filled voice make this near-future tale a joy to read.
Customer Reviews:
- Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
- Early Stephenson has some gems
"You've come a long way, baby," is my pithy, surprised response when, having never experienced or heard of N. Stephenson, I read Zodiac followed immediate by Cryptonomicon. Like watching a clip of an NBA future-star as a freshman in college then cutting to one as a rookie in the NBA. The progression of skills writing-wise is stark, and a reader of Zodiac shouldn't expect more than a late 80's thriller with a moderately good story and main character, written by a novice. This book does not stand up to later... more info
- An older Stephenson novel that is still current
I can't believe I'm only now getting to this novel. I love being entertained, and this really moves along at a good clip. Although it was written 20 years ago, the environmental issues addressed haven't changed. Stephenson's humor is in top form, and easily accessible in this relatively short novel. His writing, as always, is enviable.
- Great read
Stephenson continually impresses me with his ability to research many different topics in depth enough to accurately blend facts with his great prose.
- how the Earth is being polluted
"Zodiac" by Neal Stephenson, © 1988
The best part of this story is the travel through Boston. It is a pretty good story of how the Earth is being polluted and those who want to save it. The name is the name of the boat the eco-nuts use. The story is not so much a story of whodunit as it is an adventure. Sangamon Taylor runs the group who stumbles onto a scheme to use bacteria to consume Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This would not be so bad except the opposite happens as well, and that is bad.... more info
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