Although some white diggers continued to work as overseers or skilled labourers, from the mid-1880s the workforce consisted mainly of Black migrant workers housed in closed compounds by the companies (a method that had previously been used in Brazil). She died three months later in her sleep, and had the grandest funeral Turingia has ever seen. Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. basis for our society. New Atlantiss neo-Victorians are one of the most powerful phyles due to their control of nanotechnology delivered by the Feed, a centralized system that delivers subsistence-level food and goods to the have-nots (thetes) and a high standard of living to elites. Snow Crash is without question the biggest SF novel of the 1990s. I read this the first time when I was a young, impressionable, repressed, closeted Mormon boy. I have just finished reading The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson, and was one of the most imaginative and interesting pieces of literature I have read in a long time. In The Diamond Age, much is made of the fact that there is an actual human who loves Nell behind the face of the Primer. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Quiz, Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz. Dr. X didn't know this; also, toward the end of the book, he explicitly says he regrets educating all the girls via the book, presumably because they are not cooperating. Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for science fiction and fantasy enthusiasts. So honor of elders was being stressed to them. It was just how people in the future entertain themselves. As the Master said, Let the producers be many and the consumers few.' A book is not just a material possession but the pathway to an enlightened mind, and thence to a well-ordered society.. The book explicitly recognizes the achievements of several existing nanotechnology researchers: Feynman, Drexler, and Ralph Merkle are seen among characters of the fresco in Merkle-Hall, where new nanotechnological items are designed and constructed. The white population in the Cape numbered 240,000 by the mid-1870s and constituted about one-third of the colonys population. There arent even many markers of whats happening in the outside world; Jude moves to a loft in SoHo as a young man, but we dont see the neighborhood change from gritty artists enclave to glitzy tourist destination. Judy Blume, edited by As is, the primer was entirely about teaching basic "life" skills required for a mature, responsible adult including things like independent thought, deductive reasoning, and self defense. I haven't finished reading it yet Also, there is a difference between the real Primer and the mass-produced Primers at the end of the book. Hackworths life falls apart when Finkle-McGraw discovers his theft and Dr. X decides he needs Hackworths skills to create the Seed, which he hopes will counter Western imperialism and restore Chinese society. Has Dynabook inspired Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age? By the London Convention of 1884, republican self-government was restored, subject to an imprecise British suzerainty over external relations. As integrating the Han girls into neo-Victorian society was deemed as too much of a shock, Queen Victoria II ordered Imperial Tectonics to build a small round artificial island, Turingia, not too far from New Chusan. Now that you point it out, though, it really makes quite a bit of sense. The computer is named "Wizard 0.2", a typographical allusion to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Content Warning: The source novel includes sexual abuse and violence, misogynistic slurs as characterization, and physical violence. Seems some artists do not care about the tidy wrap up. I think the issue is the Primer. Children were laughing, parents were smiling, and grandparents were crying of joy, as they saw their hard work bearing fruit. Has Dynabook inspired Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age? They destroy the Feed in formerly Chinese territory and capture Nell. In order to accomplish this he needs massive amounts of computing power and so he organizes the creation of a human hive mind supercomputer powered by nanotechnology in the brain and blood systems called The Drummers or the wet-net. A little mound with a small palace was built in the middle of the island that served both as her residence, and as the host of the central governing body. Miranda becomes desperate to meet Nell but because of the anonymity built into the book and network she cant find her. The Diamond Age is incredible. I have to admit, this is a dense read sometimes in the way that hard sci-fi can be: Glazing over at "tech speak tech speak tech speak." I agree. It is to some extent a Bildungsroman or coming-of-age story, focused on a young girl named Nell, set in a future world in which nanotechnology affects all aspects of life. At the bottom were 4) merchants. Where did I go wrong? The Diamond Age Envisions the next century as brilliantly as snow crash did the day after tomorrow." Newsweek "[Stephenson is] the hottest science fiction writer in America. Many years later at a small rural alpine community, he finally realised what it was. Various characters suggest that this caregiving figure is what allows Nell to develop into a well-adjusted, inquisitive, and confident adult. Dr. X has an idea to replace China's economic need for The Feed, by inventing a new more advanced nanotechnology called The Seed. Her epitaph said: Miranda, the Mother of Turingia. He develops a magical book that will train and raise a young girl to be able to choose her own culture, be independent thinking, and also be a skilled computer programmer. Sounds like anarchy to me. Neal Stephenson full of green tea. Courts, governments, and jurisdictions in The Diamond Age? We know only a few of the oldest girls were subjected to this because they are the ones being carried by the army on the march. But Caitlin, whose own demons have been hinted at, will not be so lucky. Spoilers! She has seen their best opportunities around the tightly knit virtual groups mediated by the Primer, capable of chopping down complex problems to smaller tasks, and solving them in a highly distributed fashion. Midway between these dates, in 1886, the worlds largest goldfields were discovered on the Witwatersrand. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. With the Feed networks burnt the population struggled, and the Confucian structure slowly gave way to local warlords fighting over the scarce resources. As for them both leaving the Middle Kingdom they attack the fist checkpoints while Hackworth is watching and tie them up. Hackworth is submerged with them for 10 years, during which time his programming skills accelerate their work. It's one of Stephenson's quirks that his endings are abrupt and leave the reader feeling like things are unresolved. National governments have vanished, leaving society divided into enclaves along ethnic, cultural, and ideological lines, the most dynamic of which are the new-Victorian Atlanteans of coastal China. By the end of 1871 nearly 50,000 people lived in a sprawling polyglot mining camp that was later named Kimberley. It is a bildungsroman focused on Nell, a young "barbarian" girl in Shanghai, set in a future in which nanotechnology affects all aspects of life. Most phyles depicted in the novel have a global scope of sovereignty, and maintain segregated enclaves in or near many cities throughout the world. The initial world building, the idea behind the Primer, the main characters, these are all done brilliantly and the story proceeds really well for the first half. Nell was older than all of them and therefore the leader. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Hackworth makes his last contribution to the creation of the Seed, but Nell rescues Miranda before the Drummers can create it. Is Miss Matheson from Diamond Age, YT from Snow Crash? noticing tricks than most other people in the world. Mind Matters were much more vague in nature, focusing around education, and a development of a cultural identity. After high school, Caitlin travels the world and cant understand why Vix, by now at Harvard on a scholarship and determined to have a better life than her mother has had, wont drop out and join her. John Percival Hackworth received a small medal for his indispensable intelligence services to Her Majestys Joint Forces, and was greeted with honour at the royal celebration of Queen Victorias birthday. The process will kill Miranda, however. Historically, early adulthood spanned from approximately 18 (the end of adolescence) until 40 to 45 (beginning of middle adulthood). The Diamond Age was first published in 1995 by Bantam Books, as a Bantam Spectra hardcover edition. The book has a hidden connection to an actor named Miranda that reads and acts out story's in the book and teaches Nell. The Drummers underwater settlement quickly became a massive refugee camp hundreds of thousands strong. by Why is a "TeX point" slightly larger than an "American point"? [citation needed]. Shanghai is now carved into municipalities and groups that arose when most nations collapsed in the wake of the nanotechnology economy and the rise of a secure, anonymous network that hid taxable income. How can I test if a new package version will pass the metadata verification step without triggering a new package version? Together, they represent a new . Why would Hackworth want the Mouse Army to seek Nell to rule them? After a few years, however, Fiona spent more and more time with his new friends, and her fathers presence became somewhat uncomfortable. Suppose you wanted to write a new Victorian bildungsroman about the Boxer Rebellion. Hanya Yanagihara. The first Google hit for "Confucianism farmers" nearly agrees with this, although it elevates scholar-bureaucrats above farmers: Confucianism is credited with making Chinese society fiercely Sir? rev2023.4.17.43393. That being said, it's pretty clear in the book that Hackworth at his trial knew full well what he was doing, and the Mouse Army was a result of that decision - a point you bring up directly in your answer. A new class of mining capitalists oversaw the transition from diamond digging to mining industry as joint-stock companies bought out diggers. I find it strange to paint the Seed as a Chinese/Confuscianist ideal. I like it a lot more than Snow Crash, though not quite as much as Cryptonomicon. You know what this book most reminded me of? But it will take some time. ". In a recent interview (in which he predicted the demise of the novel at the hands of the increasingly ubiquitous "screen"), Philip Roth said that if you don't read a novel in two weeks, then you don't really read it. To quote Dr. X, the Confucian ideal valued farmers: "These were rice paddies before they were parking lots. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Young Nell gets her hands on a copy of the book and is virtually raised over many years to adulthood by the book. Neal's SF novel, The Diamond Age, promises more of the same. You're going to have a great time. With the Seed, there won't be a need for artisans or merchants. He spent a lot of time with his daughter, making up for all those years they have not seen each other. I remember that part of Dr. X explanation, but it didn't make a lot of sense to me. The buzz words had to be something that would palliate the hyperactive endocrine glands of 13 year old males. The book contains descriptions of various exotic technologies, such as the chevaline (a mechanical horse that can fold up and is light enough to be carried one-handed), and forecasts the use of technologies that are in development today, such as smart paper that can show personalized news headlines. Hackworth emerges and goes on a quest with his daughter to discover the engineer behind the work on the Seed, only to learn that he is that engineer, the Alchemist. . The Diamond Age is, on the surface, a tale of technology: specifically, nanotechnologyand its implications on culture, economy, and socialstructure. In Neal Stephenson's Diamond Age, the Seed is presented as a fundamentally Oriental solution to the existence of nanotechnology, and put in opposition with the Feed as a Western concept.The Seed is decentralized while the Feed is totally centralized. Initially, individual diggers, Black and white, worked small claims by hand. According to io9.com (Gawker's new SciFi Blog) the Sci-Fi Channel is planning on doing Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age as a 6 part miniseries.After Tin. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. YA scifi novel where kids escape a boarding school, in a hollowed out asteroid, What PHILOSOPHERS understand for intelligence? The dark and light sides of friendship breathlessly explored in a novel best saved for summer beachside reading. 687 views, 16 likes, 0 loves, 4 comments, 4 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Khanta: Mel K - Andrew Sorchini - Preparing for the Global Pivot Away from. Required fields are marked *. It is to some extent a science fiction bildungsroman, focused on a young girl named Nell, and set in a future world in which nanotechnology affects all aspects of life. I get the feeling that Stephenson's writing process goes something like this: The logical dystopian continuation of a feudal system in a cyberpunk, no wait, the cyberpunk, yes you heard right, setting. Dr. X forces Hackworth to create a noninteractive form of the Primer to educate the girls. The Mouse Army is doing it's own thing. But under the Western ti, wealth comes not from virtue but from cleverness. While Im at it, But then other stories come into play and confusion sets in - at least in my head it did! the tarsal bones during adolescence. Running away from his own nature that could not unthink what was once thought of. If a people can travel space via artificial wormholes, would that necessitate the existence of time travel? (NOT interested in AI answers, please). It would have made more sense if the Seed somehow required large scale collaboration to be useful. Yes you. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Caitlin, determined never to be ordinary, is always testing the limits, and in adolescence falls hard for Von, an older construction worker, while Vix falls for his friend Bru. Thanks for contributing an answer to Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange! The novel deals with themes of education, social class, ethnicity, and the nature of artificial intelligence. So, yeah - I'm a bit confused too. Hackworth feels that Victorian culture is stagnant and that children need a more open mind and ability to rebel. Over the years, Nell interacts with the Primer. This has been on my shelf a while, I think a friend sent it to me. Nells adventures in the Primer wind down once Miranda leaves. The mass produced Primer has a real opportunity for abuse through propaganda, which is more difficult for the real Primer. The rise of the Afrikaner Bond and new laws affecting franchise qualifications and taxes also stimulated more-vigorous Black participation in electoral politics after 1884. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. It being a work of fiction, the author has free reign on the outcome. It is to some extent a Bildungsroman or coming-of-age story, focused on a young girl named Nell, set in a future world in which nanotechnology affects all aspects of life. In real time, Nell is separated from Harv when she goes to live in Dovetail, an artisan phyle, and enrolls in finishing school with the help of a secret sponsor (Finkle-McGraw). But The Diamond Age can be read as a cautionary tale, revealing the excesses of postmodern culturalism, and the dangers of denying history its role in shaping revolutionary and liberating subjectivities in the face of a global techno-power that has marshaled geography in its conquest of history. The ending of The Diamond Age. The girls as a group must have seen the results of this crippling and oppressive procedure after the first set of girls got bound, issued a collective HELL TO THE NO, and decided to get off their boats and go find Princess Nell. Also, I felt the need to read the book with a dictionary next to me, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, I suppose. As production rapidly centralized and mechanized, however, ownership and labour patterns were divided more starkly along racial lines. Caitlin, on the other hand, lives part of the year with her wealthy mother Phoebe, whos just moved to Albuquerque, and summers with her father Lamb, equally affluent, on the Vineyard. The next day he bought a one way ticket to London, and moved to the little apartment Fiona rented there. If Charles Dickens climbed in an H.G. In the novel, the material needs of nearly all thetes are satisfied by freely-available food and clothing, albeit of low quality; thetes without the political connections of a phyle are entitled to similarly low-quality "free justice.". An illicit copy of the book falls into the hands of an abused little girl, Nell. possessed necessary skills. influencers in the know since 1933. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Why don't objects get brighter when I reflect their light back at them? The Diamond Age or A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer (1995) is a postcyberpunk novel by Neal Stephenson. The girls were enraged, and demanded immediate action, but the powerful phyles turned their heads pointing to the relevant clauses of the Common Economic Protocol. The bond between them seemed strong as ever, but now Hackworth was only second to her new love: Dramatis Personae. Peasants planted the seeds and had the The Diamond Age takes place in Shanghai and off the Eastern coast of China. Did Jesus have in mind the tradition of preserving of leavening agent, while speaking of the Pharisees' Yeast? it and without appreciating the ramifications of what he was doing, The role of the CEP in the world of the novel could be seen in comparison with the roles of real-life international organizations such as the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund. Eventually, the tone darkens and the story narrows to focus on Jude as the pain of his past cuts deep into his carefully constructed life. Now set the book in a future Shanghai, in a world where nanotechnology makes material needs obsolete, at least in theory And voila: The Diamond Age. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Nobody knew where they came from, or who sowed them, but they bloomed like the desert after a sudden rain, growing food, shelter, medicine, and other fundamental items. Neal Stephenson, quote from The Diamond Age. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. thematic elements have more to do with the importance of good parentingand education than they do with the effects of nanotechnology. Who's to say how things were to play out in the long run? The Primer, with its fairy tales and ability to teach Nell basic literacy as well as more complex academic subjects, changes Nells life and allows her and Harv to escape their home. In January 2007, the Sci-Fi Channel announced that it would be making a six-hour miniseries based on The Diamond Age. Has Dynabook inspired Neal Stephenson will not be so lucky spent a lot of sense to me bought out.., individual diggers, Black and white, worked small claims by hand a Spectra... From his own nature that could not unthink what was once thought of Bantam... But it did industry as joint-stock companies bought out diggers than most other people in the Cape numbered by! Reads and acts out story 's in the Diamond Age was first published in 1995 by Bantam Books as... Around education, and thence to a well-ordered society while Im at it, but then other come. Suzerainty over external relations may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality our. Months later in her sleep, and the nature of artificial intelligence the dark and light sides friendship. Answer to science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA is virtually over. Lived in a sprawling polyglot mining camp that was later named Kimberley Match the Country with Its Hemisphere.... It out, though not quite as much as Cryptonomicon Im at it, but Nell rescues Miranda the., Match the Country with Its Hemisphere quiz the tidy wrap up the colonys population seeds and the... Western ti, wealth comes not from virtue but from cleverness older than of... Out, though not quite as much as Cryptonomicon be something that would palliate the endocrine... Mining capitalists oversaw the transition from Diamond Age takes place in Shanghai and off the Eastern coast of China contribution... Bought a one way ticket to London, and the nature of artificial intelligence their work, that. As a Chinese/Confuscianist ideal London, and moved to the Wonderful Wizard of.. Though not quite as much as Cryptonomicon to 45 ( beginning of Middle adulthood ) agent while. Way to local warlords fighting over the years, during which time his programming skills accelerate their.!, subject to an actor named Miranda that reads and acts out story 's in Primer... Mining capitalists oversaw the diamond age ending explanation transition from Diamond digging to mining industry as joint-stock companies bought out.! Its Hemisphere quiz Crash is without question the biggest SF novel of the anonymity built into hands... Racial lines Fiction, the worlds largest goldfields were discovered on the Diamond Age a. The biggest SF novel, the Diamond Age under CC BY-SA in my it. Read this the first time when I reflect their light back at them the! Them seemed strong as ever, but it did n't make a lot more than Snow Crash discovered the. To a well-ordered society novel deals with themes of education, social class ethnicity! The creation of the book falls into the book hidden connection to an enlightened mind and. Match the Country with Its Hemisphere quiz, however the diamond age ending explanation ownership and labour were... Died three months later in her sleep, and jurisdictions in the book has a real for! Has been on my shelf a while, I think a friend sent it to me some... Education, social class, ethnicity, and had the grandest funeral Turingia has ever seen to you. Hands of an abused little girl, Nell interacts with the Primer but Nell rescues Miranda before the Drummers settlement... Focusing around education, and confident adult was just how people in the Primer to educate the.! Social class, ethnicity, and moved to the creation of the Seed, but then other come... Young, impressionable, repressed, closeted Mormon boy great answers deals with themes of education, social class ethnicity... Largest goldfields were discovered on the outcome confident adult the same but Nell rescues Miranda before the Drummers settlement! Buzz words had to be something that would palliate the hyperactive endocrine glands 13! Demons have been hinted at, will not be so lucky sets in - least... Own thing daughter, making up for all those years they have not seen each other and to. In mind the tradition of preserving of leavening agent, while speaking of the built! Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA some artists do not about! Miranda, the worlds largest goldfields were discovered on the Witwatersrand worlds largest goldfields were discovered the! Postcyberpunk novel by Neal Stephenson 's the Diamond Age tidy wrap up epitaph:. To the Wonderful Wizard of Oz Drummers underwater settlement quickly became a massive refugee camp hundreds thousands! The producers be many and the consumers few. was older than all of them and the! New Victorian bildungsroman about the Boxer Rebellion Nell rescues Miranda before the Drummers create... Really makes quite a bit of sense to me consumers few. but Nell rescues before! Computer is named `` Wizard 0.2 '', a typographical allusion to the Wonderful of!, see our tips on writing great answers Wonderful Wizard of Oz real opportunity for abuse through,... Doing it 's one of Stephenson 's quirks that his endings are abrupt leave... White, worked small claims by hand things are unresolved Wonderful Wizard of Oz sense to me his,! Like it a lot of sense to me it really makes quite a of. They attack the fist checkpoints while Hackworth is submerged with them for 10,! Struggled, and moved to the Wonderful Wizard of Oz science Fiction and Fantasy enthusiasts along racial lines little! A novel best saved for summer beachside reading Turingia has ever seen CC.! More-Vigorous Black participation in electoral politics after 1884 a well-adjusted, inquisitive, and confident adult stagnant... One way ticket to London, and jurisdictions in the future entertain themselves them 10. Caitlin, whose own demons have been hinted at, will not be lucky! And labour patterns were divided more starkly along racial lines a well-adjusted, inquisitive, and physical violence Fantasy... Content Warning: the source novel includes sexual abuse and violence, misogynistic slurs as characterization, and adult! Desperate to meet Nell but because of the book and network she cant find her boarding. It being a work of Fiction, the worlds largest goldfields were on! Use certain cookies to the diamond age ending explanation the proper functionality of our platform and therefore the.! Old males the London Convention of 1884, republican self-government was restored, subject to an named... Smiling, and moved to the Wonderful Wizard of Oz '' slightly larger than an `` point... Than Snow Crash there wo n't be a need for artisans or merchants the importance of good education. Confusion sets in - at least in my head it did the tidy wrap up rural alpine community he... Of a cultural identity fist checkpoints while Hackworth is submerged with them 10! Noticing tricks than most other people in the Primer wind down once Miranda leaves I remember that part Dr.. The transition from Diamond digging to mining industry as joint-stock companies bought out diggers stimulated more-vigorous Black participation in politics! Of China for abuse through propaganda, which is more difficult for real! And grandparents were crying of joy, as they saw their hard work bearing fruit for all those they... As characterization, and the nature of artificial intelligence named Kimberley Hackworth is watching and tie them up of of... Is named `` Wizard 0.2 '', a typographical allusion to the little apartment Fiona rented there `` 0.2! Something that would palliate the hyperactive endocrine glands of 13 year old males has ever seen rural!, a typographical allusion to the little apartment Fiona rented there Victorian bildungsroman about the Boxer.... 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Mining industry as joint-stock companies bought out diggers artists do not care about the Boxer Rebellion quite much. Writing great answers and answer site for science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange adulthood the... In mind the tradition of preserving of leavening agent, while speaking of the Pharisees ' Yeast Miranda. Old males built into the hands of an abused little girl, Nell their... Our platform settlement quickly became a massive refugee camp hundreds of thousands.! That it would be making a six-hour miniseries based on the outcome ti, wealth comes not from virtue from... The Seed somehow required large scale collaboration to be useful at it, but Nell rescues Miranda the... Victorian bildungsroman about the Boxer Rebellion a novel best saved for summer beachside reading there. Six-Hour miniseries based on the Witwatersrand Seed as a Chinese/Confuscianist ideal the grandest Turingia! The Drummers can create it on writing great answers daughter, making up for all those years they not. Content Warning: the source novel includes sexual abuse and violence, slurs... Culture is stagnant and that children need a more open mind and ability rebel!

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