Zodiac
The second novel from the "hottest science fiction writer in America" and New York Times–bestselling author of Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon ( Details). Meet Sangamon Taylor, a New Age Sam Spade who sports a wet suit instead of a trench…
- Release Date
- 2007
- Length
- 340 pages
- Publisher
- Open Road + Grove/Atlantic
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Our Review
About the book
Sangamon Taylor is a brash environmental activist in Boston who uses chemistry, speedboats and a flair for publicity to expose industrial polluters. When he investigates toxic contamination in Boston Harbor, he uncovers a conspiracy far more dangerous than he expected.
Our review
Before the doorstop epics, Neal Stephenson wrote a scrappy, wisecracking eco-thriller, and it is a blast of early energy.
Zodiac is lean, fast and very funny, a far cry from the sprawling novels that later made Stephenson famous. Sangamon Taylor narrates with a sardonic, chemistry-nerd swagger, and the book’s pleasure comes from watching him outwit corporate polluters with improvised science and nautical stunts. The portrait of grimy late-1980s Boston and its toxic waterways is vivid, and the activist subculture is rendered with affectionate irony.
It is clearly an early work. The plot becomes increasingly far-fetched in the final act, secondary characters are thin, and the chemistry digressions, while charming, occasionally stall the action. The technology and politics feel dated. Fans who want to trace Stephenson’s evolution will enjoy it most, and it remains a surprisingly prescient story about corporate pollution and the people who fight it.
What we loved
- Hilarious, sardonic narrator
- Fast, compact and inventive
- Prescient environmental themes
Keep in mind
- Plot turns implausible late on
- Thin supporting characters and dated details
Read it if you like
Snow Crash, Carl Hiaasen’s novels, fans of irreverent techno-thrillers
The verdict
A punchy, irreverent early Stephenson that’s more fun than polished, and a fascinating glimpse of a writer finding his voice.
