Derek’s Reviews > Seveneves > Status Update
Derek
is on page 25 of 867
"Two of the larger pieces…were headed right for each other." I don't think even trained astronomers could tell with nothing more than a 6" telescope that two rocks, say a quarter the size of the moon, at the moon's distance from earth, were actually going to collide rather than pass one in front of the other! Certainly not a group of elementary students.
— Jul 15, 2015 06:18PM
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Derek’s Previous Updates
Derek
is on page 68 of 867
OK. I've never done this with Stephenson, but the library wanted it back, and I can't see a reason to keep it. When my e-copy hold comes up at the library, I'll give it another shot...
— Jul 25, 2015 06:27PM
Derek
is on page 68 of 867
Others (many) have complained about Stephenson's obsession with engineering detail rather than character development. I think it's worse than that: he has an obsessive need to explain things his readers should already know. He tells us that after the "Agent" a new calendar is used. The first time he uses that, he explains. And the second… He feels he needs to explain "EVA" (twice). Assume intelligent readers, Neal!
— Jul 20, 2015 03:58PM
Derek
is on page 24 of 867
I could live with all the technical details if they were even correct! In one week, half a dozen meteorites have struck the earth, and more than one has killed people, and he says "The death toll…far beneath… statistical ground clutter of shark attacks & lightning…" ? Worldwide, lighting kills 6-24000 people yearly. Possibly an order of magnitude higher, but probably not. Sharks kill 1 or 2 people a year!
— Jul 15, 2015 06:16PM
