79 pages 2 hours read

Neal Stephenson

The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1995

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson imagines a future Shanghai divided into cultural groups called phyles, where an engineer named Hackworth creates a stolen educational AI device, the Primer, which ends up with Nell, a disadvantaged girl. The Primer helps Nell grow in intelligence and skill, leading her to rise above her circumstances and create a new, stable phyle amidst societal chaos. The book includes sexual abuse, violence, misogynistic slurs, and physical violence.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson is praised for its imaginative world-building and innovative exploration of nanotechnology. Reviewers appreciate its intricate plot and rich character development. However, some find the pacing uneven and the narrative occasionally overwhelming. Overall, it is a thought-provoking and ambitious novel that stimulates both intellectually and creatively.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Diamond Age?

Readers who enjoy The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson are likely fans of speculative fiction with rich world-building and thought-provoking themes. Comparable to enthusiasts of William Gibson's Neuromancer or Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, they appreciate futuristic narratives exploring societal and technological complexities.

RecommendedReading Age

16+years

Book Details

Genre

Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction

Fantasy

Coming of Age / Bildungsroman

Topics

Class

Education

Technology

Themes

Life/Time: Coming of Age

Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Society: Education