Fall; or, Dodge in Hell
By Neal Stephenson
- Release Date: 2019-06-04
- Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers
Description
New York Times Bestseller
A New York Times Notable Book
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Seveneves, Anathem, Reamde, and Cryptonomicon returns with a wildly inventive and entertaining science fiction thriller—Paradise Lost by way of Philip K. Dick—that unfolds in the near future, in parallel worlds.
In his youth, Richard “Dodge” Forthrast founded Corporation 9592, a gaming company that made him a multibillionaire. Now in his middle years, Dodge appreciates his comfortable, unencumbered life, managing his myriad business interests, and spending time with his beloved niece Zula and her young daughter, Sophia.
One beautiful autumn day, while he undergoes a routine medical procedure, something goes irrevocably wrong. Dodge is pronounced brain dead and put on life support, leaving his stunned family and close friends with difficult decisions. Long ago, when a much younger Dodge drew up his will, he directed that his body be given to a cryonics company now owned by enigmatic tech entrepreneur Elmo Shepherd. Legally bound to follow the directive despite their misgivings, Dodge’s family has his brain scanned and its data structures uploaded and stored in the cloud, until it can eventually be revived.
In the coming years, technology allows Dodge’s brain to be turned back on. It is an achievement that is nothing less than the disruption of death itself. An eternal afterlife—the Bitworld—is created, in which humans continue to exist as digital souls.
But this brave new immortal world is not the Utopia it might first seem . . .
Fall, or Dodge in Hell is pure, unadulterated fun: a grand drama of analog and digital, man and machine, angels and demons, gods and followers, the finite and the eternal. In this exhilarating epic, Neal Stephenson raises profound existential questions and touches on the revolutionary breakthroughs that are transforming our future. Combining the technological, philosophical, and spiritual in one grand myth, he delivers a mind-blowing speculative literary saga for the modern age.
Reviews
Not his best
2By seamus310Go back and read his earlier work. Looks like he hands these off to interns nowDumb.....
2By Jud GashThe book...and me for reading it to the end. So disappointing compared to Seveneves. Not recommended.Loved the Beginning
2By HalucigensFirst 400 pages were amazing and I could see a lot of parallels with this alternative reality. The fantasy adventure got very treacherous to read. Very slow. Long chapters of walking. Also sloppily written. Found a half a dozen tense errors.A fit
5By CruzJonesCan't believe how much this fits my dreams and fantasies -- very satisfying.Great start but gets lost
3By MartholomeowThe best parts of this book are the parts that take place in the real world. Yet Stephenson spends much more time in the virtual afterlife. It's a good read but not as good as his other works.Good but fizzled out.
3By kcladyzThe whole story concept is really genius and it starts off great but 70% in it fizzled out and can not bring myself to finish it. The storyline in the bit world got really boring and really bad and I am so bored I can’t read it anymore.Fall is excellent!!!
5By jaxonlover4evrAnother fabulous and thought-provoking ride. I am SO happy Neal Stephenson is so hard-working and prolific! What a cool book...Great start....
2By Friskey E..... weak ending. Like many of Neal’s works I’m finding the premise of the novels intriguing, throughout compelling, the endings flat.Fall or dodge in hell
2By aaabbbeeecccKind of started strong but fell into an overly long story of medieval fighting. Maybe it’s just me but this book has no ending that makes any sense.The never ending quest
1By FedUpNKyDon’t waste your time.