The Diamond Age
Or: A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer
by Neal Stephenson
Rating: 8/10
Summary
The Diamond Age is as crazy as Neal Stephensons other books. It is set in a slightly dystopian world, where everybody has access to nanotechnology and people can print anything they want from "the feed". The world is divided into classes. Each has it's own zone of influence, with nanotechnoloy protecting the barriers, like an ever present immune system. But a struggle emerges over a new piece of nanotech.
The Nanotechnology in question is a small book, called "A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer", designed to educate the reader to become a part of the ruling class. But somehow, a primer like this finds it's way into the hands of a peasant girl in the lower classes. And a chase begins.
This book is so chock full with interesting concepts and stuff to think about, that over that, the story wouldn't even be needed. In a way the story feels like an excuse to explore that beautiful world that has been built up by Neal Stephenson's imagination. And I like that.