System of the World
The Baroque Cycle #3
by Neal Stephenson · first published 2003
52% recommend43% neutral4% critical
Why HN recommends it
Final volume of Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, a dense blend of historical and science fiction around the Royal Society, Newton and Leibniz. Suits patient readers who want lots to chew on and rereads.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
'Tis done.The world is a most confused and unsteady place -- especially London, center of finance, innovation, and conspiracy -- in the year 1714, when Daniel Waterhouse makes his less-than-triumphant return to England's shores. Aging Puritan and Natural Philosopher, confidant of the high and mighty and contemporary of the most brilliant minds of the age, he has braved the merciless sea and an assault by the infamous pirate Blackbeard to help mend the rift between two adversarial geniuses at a princess's behest. But while much has changed outwardly, the duplicity and danger that once drove Dan
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…Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin - Blindsight and Echopraxia by Peter Watts - The Tao Te Ching - The Gateless Gate (Koun Yamada translation/editing) - The Baroque Cycle (Quicksilver, The Confusion, The System of the World) by Neal Stephenson - The Invisibles by Grant Morrison - Incerto (Fooled by Randomness, The Black Swan, Antifragile, The Bed of Procrustes) by Nassim Nicholas Taleb - Iron John by Robert Bly - Catch…
on “Ask HN: What books fundamentally changed the way you think about the world?” ↗…Walk to Freedom Outliers Good to Great Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz (Self-image) Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey(Being awesome) Wealth of Nations Wayne Dyer The Tao System of the World Origin of Species Brave new world Thank you economy Crush it Built to Last Who Moved my Cheese Stillness Speak Eckhert Tolle Mastery George Leonard Steve Jobs Biography The Last Lecture Steve…
on “Ask HN: What are some Good Books you have read in past one year or so..” ↗Neal Stephenson books that had lots to chew on are his Baroque Cycle (Quicksilver, The Confusion, and The System of the World) and Anathem.
on “Entitlement issues (2009)” ↗Not for every reader but Stephenson's Baroque Cycle (Quicksilver, The Confusion, The System of the World) is something between historical fiction and science fiction. Worth a try in your case. Also, it's hard to go wrong with the yearly Hugo Award winners and nominees. Sometimes they are middle entries…
on “Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?” ↗Or for a fictional account, Stephenson's Baroque Cycle. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_System_of_the_World_(novel... .
on “Trial of the Pyx” ↗Great story. Wilkins and his language also feature in Stephenson’s “System of the World” books. The excellent book “In the land of invented languages” by Arika Okrent dedicates chapter 2 to Wilkins. I should point out, I didn’t go seeking information about Wilkins, but his language just…
on “The Analytical Language of John Wilkins” ↗> Stephenson’s “System of the World” books Minor nit: “System of the World” is the third novel in the Baroque Cycle, after Quicksilver and The Confusion. I really enjoyed these books for the SF world-building perspective on the emergence…
on “The Analytical Language of John Wilkins” ↗…title, and how often you have read it. For me the (probably incomplete list) is: Connie Willis: Doomsday Book (three times) Neal Stephenson: Cryptonomicon, Anathem, Quicksilver, The Confusion, The System of the World (twice or three times) Frank Herbert: Dune (three times) Tolkien: Lord of the Rings (three times) Stephen King: Salem's Lot, The Shining, It (three times each) Stephen King & Peter Straub: The Talisman…
on “Ask HN: Which books did you read at least twice?” ↗…with my own principles. _Cryptonomicon_ need hardly be mentioned anymore, considering it's repute, but lately I've been reading the "prequel" trilogy consisting of _Quicksilver_, _The Confusion_ and _The System of the World_. It's set in the same literary universe, centering on events in the late 17th and early 18th century, basically tracing the early days of science. They also feature some quite humorous fictionalized…
on “YC’s Summer Reading” ↗They're very verbose and dense, and it strikes me that Neal Stephenson more or less wrote the three books just for himself, but it's worth checking out his "The Baroque Cycle" trilogy, culminating with "The System of the World." It's fiction, but it's very eye-opening and mind-teasing fiction that puts a lot of contemporary moving parts in motion at the same time. And the books basically revolve around the Newton-Leibniz…
on “In the 17th century, Leibniz dreamed of a machine that could calculate ideas” ↗i've enjoyed pretty much everything that he has done, with the exception of the Baroque Cycle, Confusion, System of the World series ( great reads, just an awful lot to digest and keep straight). Cryptonomicon is a geeks must read.
on “32 Sci-Fi novels that you should add to your reading list” ↗The Baroque cycle: Quicksilver, The Confusion and System of the World is awesome as well. Who doesn't want to read fiction about The Royal Society, Isaac Newton and Liebniz mixed in with phrases in the line with "In memory of Englands greatest swordsman, beaten to death…
on “Ask HN: What is the best fiction book you've ever read? ” ↗…on, as opposed to mythology/political thriller) William Gibson has been consistently good with writing what I describe as science fiction. So was Neal Stephenson (Cryptonomicon, Diamond Age, even the System of the World trilogy). Conversely, Star Wars would not be considered science fiction, just fantasy with spaceships.
on “Electric sheep” ↗Neal Stephenson's System of the World trilogy has a lot to say on Newton's alchemical investigations.
on “Isaac Newton’s attempts to unlock secret code of pyramids” ↗Snowcrash is fun but doesn't have anyhere near the depth of his later books. Cryptonomicon is fantastic, you shouldn't let the first one of the System of the World put you off, and I love Anathem. Unfortunately Neal Stephenson is terrible at ending books; but the journey is def. worth it.
on “Ask HN: Good books?” ↗