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Seveneves

Neal Stephenson

Discussion leader: Arturo

Why we're reading this: I think of Seveneves in my mind as The Martian on space steroids. As such, it is much more grandiose, muc…more
[close] I think of Seveneves in my mind as The Martian on space steroids. As such, it is much more grandiose, much more extensive, and much more "fantastic" (both in terms of scientific accuracy and tone).

But a big increase in scope also means a big decrease in levity. This is a very dramatic, emotionally heavy, and "epic" story in all senses. It introduces many characters and revolves around ultra-high stakes involving the survival of humankind. The author was most definitely aiming to create a memorable mythology here. A Great Tale worth remembering for millennia by its characters. And in this, he succeeds immensely! You'll be blown away by the imagination injected in this book. I wouldn't be surprised if this becomes a new sci-fi template that will inspire countless creators in the future.

That being said, I think this novel is best enjoyed with a "tabula rasa" state of mind. Read no synopsis or spoilers. Instead, get a free sample online and read the first few chapters. If you don't get utterly absorbed as I did with the events described, then you never will.

I highly recommend it. But I warn that it may not be your space cup of tea. So proceed with caution.

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What Members Thought

Oct 24, 2015 Traci Loudin added it

Shelves: borrowed, unfinished, 2015-read, apocalyptic, male-author

An interesting read. I expected to be very excited about (view spoiler) but by the time I got to that part of the story, it had lost all its steam for me. I guess I just really wanted to know if and how humans survived and began to procreate again, and once I knew that, the rest felt like a rather lengthy denouement to me.

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Aug 16, 2017 Janet Norman-lidster rated it liked it

Not Stephenson's best work. The first half of the book deals with a small group of humans trying to survive in orbit after a mysterious destruction of the moon causes total devastation of the earth's surface. It doesn't flow well and gets bogged down in technical details like orbital mechanics. Much of the material would be better in an appendix. The second half deals with the civilization built by the survivors 5000 years later. I found it more interesting but not particularly plausible.
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Jul 26, 2015 Kevin L rated it liked it

As usual for Stephenson, there are lots of good ideas in this book. Unfortunately, it is over-long and the writing didactic. The dialogue, what little there is of it, often flat until the final portion of the book.

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