Zodiac

This book was a huge disappointment. I loved Snow Crash & Diamond Age, but I couldnt' even finish reading Zodiac. It's not nearly as engaging as the other books, and most of the time plain out boring. I don't recommend it.

An entertaining book with incredibly flawed science. I'm a toxicologist who has studied all the chemicals discussed in this book. The toxicology is spectacularly wrong. I couldn't get past that, and that's why I giving 2 stars only

Read this for a science fiction book club. I would say I'm the target audience since I'm both a gung-ho science fiction reader as well as an environmentalist. Unfortunately, it was just too boring for words. There was no character development and not much plot. The preachiness (sp?) quotient was also over the top - and remember I agree with the author's view. I don't understand how it got all the great reviews, but I didn't find it either clever or interesting.

This was the last of his earlier books I had yet to read and the first disappointment. I didn't care about the character or what he was doing. His writing isn't for everyone, but I liked them all except this one. My review for Seven Eves, his latest, has one caveat, but read that separately. Of his earlier works, this is quite a ways away from Cryptomicon (sp?).

Mr. Stephenson taught several chemistry facts and revealed the importance of activated charcoal (capsules which everyone should have at home just in case they or their pets are poisoned) inside a good mystery. He also revealed the destructive political advantages of large corporations who dabble in politics and the harm they do to those they claim to protect. This would be a great book for high school science teachers to assign their students in order to show the relevancy of learning chemistry and biology.

I liked "Zodiac" very much. It was somewhat
Iike Stephenson's first book, "Snow Crash", in that it seemed to have an ambience like Douglas Adams mixed with William Gibson, but with an environmental focus. I got a bit bogged down in it about two-thirds of the way through and felt the ending was a little flat. Hence the four stars instead of five. That might be just me. It really was excellent, and very worth reading. It was interesting to note how the introduction of post-1988 technology, e.g. cell phones and social media, might have affected the plot. Overall, a very enjoyable reading experience.

I am a fan of Stephenson, which was what brought me to Zodiac. The subtitle of eco-thriller fits the book well. It is written like a thriller: lots of chase scenes and explosions, narrator is solving a mystery while being chased by bad guys and the pieces fall into place way too easily such that the book goes from action scene to action scene without much pausing. Had someone randomly handed me this book and said, here's a thriller you should read, I probably would have liked this book much more than I did. As it was I had higher hopes, and do not feel that this is Stephenson's best.

The plot follows ST, a chemist who works for the Boston office of an environmentalist group dedicated to stopping industrial pollution. One of the goal of the group is to get media exposure, so stunts that won't harm the public are encouraged. That makes for some chase scenes and thriller type stuff that isn't really dangerous in a thriller type way. However, ST has found some particularly nasty Agent Orange type pollution in the harbor and it is becoming clear that it is linked to a company formerly controlled by a local politician and presidential hopeful. Meanwhile, ST may have aroused the interest of local teens who mistakenly believe that he is investigation their narcotics ring. This leads to lots of chasing and detective work as ST uses chemistry to chase down his target and to figure out who is chasing him and how to evade them.

Whether I recommend this book or not depends on how you got here. If you are a Stephenson fan, then lower your expectations slightly before reading it. If you got here some other way, then this is worth reading. It was well written with humor mixed in and read fast.

Sangamon Taylor (ST) never has to worry about his job getting boring. He spends his life going after the companies that are dumping toxic chemicals into the water supply around Boston--and companies have been using Boston's harbor for waste disposal for centuries. Things get weird, though, when he discovers a huge concentration of an especially dangerous chemical, only to find that the entire seabed floor has been cleaned of it a couple of days later. There's no way an army of deep-sea scrubbers went down and cleaned things up, so what is going on.

ST might have had a chance to find the truth, but he's set up by executives from one of the dumping companies, framed as a terrorist, and sent on the run. That he happens to injest some of the poisons from the water he was investigating makes him that much slower to react. Still, when he finally learns the truth, he realizes that the potential for real disaster is even more dramatic than he had imagined.

ZODIAC is an early work by author Neal Stephenson and it lacks some of the richness of say, THE DIAMOND AGE. Still, Stephenson does an excellent job combining the adventure, science, and weird characters that are trademarks of his work. ST is an engaging protagonist. With a moral code that is more flexible than most, but that keeps the focus on the big things, ST keeps going no matter what the corporations throw at him.

We've come a long way in our ecological awareness since 1988 when this book was first published. Unfortunately, the corporate denial machines, the public's unwillingness to listen until they can no longer ignore the obvious, and the economic disaster that results from allowing public airways and waterways to be used for waste disposal without cost, linger on two decades after this novel was written.

"Zodiac" is Neal Stephenson's second book, written between the unimpressive "The Big U" and the cyberpunk classic "Snow Crash." It was mildly successful and according to Stephenson, "on first coming out in 1988 it quickly developed a cult following among water-pollution-control engineers and was enjoyed, though rarely bought, by many radical environmentalists." Unlike Stephenson's more recent works, it involves only one linear plot line, and is also of a more reasonable size. This may make it his most accessible work, though it isn't his most entertaining.
The story is told in the first person, from the perspective of Sangamon "S.T." Taylor, a Boston chemist employed by the Group of Environmental Extremists (GEE), International - an organization probably inspired by Greenpeace. S.T. works as a professional headache for industrial polluters flaunting the law and endangering their communities. His job is to terrorize the companies into acting in what is really their own best interest (i.e., not destroying the earth for short-term savings). Of course, it should go without saying that S.T. does not actually use terrorism to terrorize these polluters. Rather, he works with a potent mix of trespassing, his classic tactic of plugging up the pipes dumping toxic waste into the water supply, and his ultimate weapon: Bad Publicity.
"Zodiac" starts of with some fun actions of this sort, but the story does not really begin until S.T. unexpectedly finds incredibly large amounts of incredibly toxic PCBs in Boston Harbor. Just as soon as he starts his investigation, however, the poisons disappear - which, if it had happened spontaneously, would be a mind-boggling 'violation' of the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Since there's no known way for PCBs to be removed from the water by hand, the only explanation is that S.T. has committed the screw-up of a lifetime. No sooner has S.T. resigned himself to this fate than the PCBs reappear, in even greater quantities. That's when large numbers of people start trying to kill him. To say nothing of the Satanists. Framed as an ecoterrorist, S.T. is forced to flee Boston and join forces with the real environmental extremists in order to unravel the mystery of the PCBs, redeem himself, and, quite possibly, save the world.
So "Zodiac" really is an "Eco-Thriller," and I enjoyed it as much as (if not more than) the more famous "Snow Crash." At the very least, "Zodiac" has aged better. While some parts of "Snow Crash" read like the the wildest fantasies of the .com boom, "Zodiac" could easily be set anytime in the next (or past) twenty years. Many of the book's apparent flaws come from comparison to Stephenson's later work: "Zodiac" lacks both the intricate, awe-inspiring complexity of "Cryptonomicon" and "The Baroque Cycle" as well as much of the indescribable brand of humor that made "Snow Crash" and "Cryptonomicon" so memorable. Another gripe could be characters - except for a few main characters, they remain vague outlines for the most part. We know they're present, but don't really get a clear picture of them.
At any rate, if you're a Stephenson fan, "Zodiac" is well worth a read. Even compared to his later works, it shouldn't disappoint. On the other hand, if you're new to Stephenson, "Zodiac" is as good a place to start as any. Although it's not the experience that "Snow Crash" and "Cryptonomicon" are, it's also more accessible and not nearly as imposing as "Cryptonomicon" and "The Baroque Cycle." I recommend it.

Stephenson turns his attention to the near future in this fast-paced eco-thriller (although applying fast-pased to Stephenson is virtually redundent).
Sagamon Taylor, a self-styled professional pain in the ass, works for GEE, a small somewhat-radical environmental group based in Boston. He rides the waves like futuristic Lone Ranger looking for bad guys to bring to justice. His steed is a souped-up Zodiac and the bad guys are polluting corporations.
Sagamon goes through his usual routine of finding spills and helping GEE focus publicity on them (and often plugging the offensive drainage), and finds himself confronting a mystery that threatens the ecosystem of not only the Boston harbor, but possibly also the world's oceans. As he digs into the changing data and odd symptoms, he becomes a target: eventually his house is blown up, he flees under cover of a fierce storm, and is reported dead. Of course, he's not. He rises from the ashes and with the help of friends and unexpected allies, he makes sure the bad guys get their just desserts and the world is saved, this time.
I admit I didn't always follow the actual biochemistry of the potential disaster, but that isn't necessary to enjoy the book and the explanations don't slow the pace. There is a supporting cast of quirky characters that are entertaining to meet. And seeing GEE and its allies from the inside is often hilarious. Overall, a good read. I'll keep looking for more from this author.

He considers himself a "Toxic Spiderman," the media refer to him as the "Granola James Bond," and the blurb on the back of the book describes protagonist Sangamon Taylor as a "New Age Sam Spade." One thing he ain't, unfortunately, is a well-developed character with family, friends, etc. Amazingly enough, this lack of character development doesn't hurt the rollicking story one whit. In fact, from the first page, the reader is on a thrilling Zodiac ride around the toxic Boston Harbor, into which something a little nastier than tea is being dumped. Add regular substance use (typically, but not always, following Sangamon's Principle that "the simpler the molecule, the better the drug"), a Satanic heavy metal band, a handful of bigwig corporate criminals, Taylor's penchant for the media-savvy "invironmintle" spectacle and noir-ish first person narration, and Stephenson's gift for brilliant one liners, and you get an intelligent, fun novel that somehow perfectly captures the transitional period of the late 1980s. Basically, think Tom Robbins writing a Tom Clancy novel under the influence of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Crying of Lot 49, and Silent Spring, and you'll still be way off, but close enough to enjoy the ride.

I realized that I had not read this book and since I am a complete Stephenson fan, that needed to be fixed. This book is short and easy to read. It's set in the exciting world of active environmental activism. Stephenson makes the topic pretty interesting and he seems pretty competent with the chemistry he adds for realism (which is safely ignored). In fact that's something about Neal Stephenson that I love: sometimes he crosses into one of my areas of specialty and he's usually dead on. Here is a short passage where he's talking about riding a bike a night:

"You got a light on that [bicycle]?"
I laughed. "Since when are you the type to worry about that?"
"It's dangerous, man. You're invisible."
"I just assume I'm not invisible. I assume I'm wearing fluorescent clothes, and there's a million-dollar bounty going to the first driver who manages to hit me. And I ride on this assumption."

I could have written that! Another great job, Neal!

I went to visit Boston about a month prior to reading this book and I must admit, the book is very accurate in its description of how lousy that city really is. The science students squirming all over the place with their giant textbooks, ideals, and giant egos. And then there's the dorky main character who bathes regularly, although not often, who uses computers, but not for hacking, and who likes hardcore science - the simple, inorganic chemistry.
Obviously, since this is a Neal Stephenson novel, the reader is kept in suspence as an improbable plot of conspiracy develops to almost kill the main character on many occasion while he tries, in his chaotic-good manner, to save the world from itself and corporate America. We get the typical Neal Stephenson sarcasm, overblown ego of the main character, super-dorky references, and giant explanations of chemical processes (although some may not be accurate, e.g. not all chemical processes are reversible, really - but it's fiction, so what the heck, no?).
I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves hardcore science - not just computer science. It's perfect for people who do any form of research in chemistry, physics, etc. while utilizing minimal use of computers in their work.
Zodiac is great for the early Stephenson novel that it is. Gold-hearted geeks of all worlds, unite!

This book is one of Stephenson's earlier works, but it has all the elements that I enjoy in his stories. He takes us on a tour of the environmental movement in the late 80's and gives us glimpses of Boston's harbor. Along the way we also get some insight into the lives of lobsermen, and other boat driver of the Boston area. What really keeps my interest is the characters and their relationships. Like most real people the characters in Stephenson's stories are not static. They change with the situations that they encounter, but they stay true to who they are. The story is fast paced and far fetched, but it is grounded in the characters who bring it to life.

Oh, what's not to love about Neal Stephenson? This man is one of the most brilliant science fiction writers of our time, and he's done himself proud once more with _Zodiac_. Anyone who enjoys cutting wit and is passionate about protecting the environment will greatly enjoy this novel, which portrays the exploits of one Sangamon Taylor and his friends.
Taylor must face angry Satanists, the Mafia, the FBI, and various enraged corporate assassins and beaurocrats as he attempts to foil the plot of a mad-scientist genetic engineer, and try to find the sources of PCB contamination in Boston Harbor.
But wait, there's more! Not only is this a brilliantly-written novel, but it's also a quick primer on ecological issues as well, explaining in basic terms why certain contaminants are so deadly and evil, and how they affect living organisms.
I immensely enjoyed this book on a variety of levels, little tree-hugger and humor-addict that I am.

ZODIAC chronicles the adventures of the ecological crusader Sangamon Taylor as he uses his chemical knowledge to topple the seemingly invincible corporations that pollute our environment. Nonviolently but effectively embarrassing these companies into submission, he's naturally made some enemies in high places. S.T.'s latest intended conquest, in an effort to cover up some egregious mistakes, has released something dangerous and untested into Boston's waters. They know S.T. is close to uncovering their secret, and they don't intend to get caught out.
I liked the main character, who was highly motivated in his work but not sentimental about it. He's not a bleeding heart, but someone who is concerned about the big picture. There is no preaching here, only science. While there is a lot of technical information, the conversational, humorous tone keeps it from turning into dull lectures. S.T. would have made a good teacher. Assuming the science is sound, I actually learned a lot in my reading.
The book is fascinating and funny mystery up until the last third or so, when it jumps the contaminated shark, so to speak. A close ally becomes a betrayer without explanation (and later returns as a friend, no questions asked.) A man who has shown no previous signs of erratic behavior goes mad, not without reason, but it seems too sudden. I thought I had somehow missed a large section while reading. The story never quite recovers from this radical shift. Still, it is a very enjoyable and educational book for the most part, and one which should appeal to technothriller fans as well as science fiction readers.

Considering this book was written 11 years ago, it's impressive how dead-on-the-money it remains. The chemistry is sound (rare! very rare!) and the portrayal of the corporate world and the politics of deniability is sharp.
I enjoyed it more than either SC or DA; I find it easier to read and more enjoyable.
If I have a criticism, it's that some of the people and groups named are almost too-obviously-disguised real people; Basco are a combination of Monsanto and Dow and Hank Boone is Paul Watson (one of the founders of Greenpeace Intl. and now captain of the Sea Shepherd); it's a very minor point, but Neal could have put slightly more effort into constructing fictitious characters.
That aside, it's a thoroughly accurate portrayal of the conflict between big industry and small pressure group.
I'd recommend it to anyone as a good read and as a basic ecology primer; if you don't know this stuff, you should.

This is one of my favorite books of all time. It is fast paced and hilarious.
Stephenson did a great job of pulling me in from the very start of the book, and kept my attention the entire way.
And this book is funny. One of very few that I've read in my life that have made me literally laugh out loud.

It is very different than the rest of his early books... No cyberpunk, no computer focus... It isn't covering deep issues of society..

But it is exciting and fun.
I love it and recommend it to everyone that I meet that I like.

Good story with excellent writing. A little long here and there as I am coming to expect from Stephenson and it takes a lot of set up which I think could have been cut significantly. This would make a good movie with some obvious Boston pals playing key roles. Read it first.

And I loved the science.

So longish and science heavy give it a try.

In some ways, this book is wholly unlike the rest of Stephenson's work. It is not a cyberpunk novel, unlike the seminal "Snow Crash" and "The Diamond Age". But, in may respects, it is exactly like the rest of his work: well-written and superbly detailed.
"Zodiac" is an eco-thriller set in Boston. Through the eyes of ST, an environmentalist who is more than a little bit of a jerk, a mystery unravels as ST tracks down who is responsible for a particular pollution of Boston Harbor.
I have to admit that I was a bit concerned about reading an eco-thriller, since some in the genre are quite heavy-handed with their pro-environmental message. I shouldn't have been worried: Stephenson is a deft writer, and the novel never feels overbearing or preachy.
If you have already read some of Stephenson's other work, you need to be aware that this is not a cyberpunk novel. It is good in its own right, but there isn't a hacker to be found. Hackers may appreciate ST's anti-establishment attitudes, though.

In "Zodiac", legendary science fiction author Neal Stephenson's second novel, enivronmental activist Sangamon "S.T." Taylor stumbles onto a plot with potentially catastrophic implications on a global scale.

In an attempt to cover up illegal dumping of toxic waste in Boston Harbor decades ago, one of the major polluters who is frequently in S.T.'s sights has developed a microorganism that eats environmental poisons. Unfortunately, with one of their executives now running for president and the growing risk of prior misdeeds being exposed, deployment of the bacterium is rushed, and unintended consequences that could lead to the extinguishment of all life in the ocean begin to cascade. Going undercover with the help of a network of allies living and working off the grid, Taylor only has one shot to save the Harbor and expose the perpetrators.

Like most Stephenson novels, "Zodiac" is intelligently written, with insight into topics like environmental direct action and basic chemistry woven into a compelling stpry. However, this is clearly an early work. The protagonist is mostly, but not entirely, likable, there are too many bit players in the mix, and Taylor is too often the beneficiary of deus ex machina plot devices.

"Zodiac" is an engaging read that could have used a surer hand from the author's editor, but which is solid nonetheless. It doesn't need to be at the top of your list, but if you enjoy Stephenson's work, it's not a bad way to glimpse the path he followed to his current level of literary rockstardom.

I have read Mr. Stephenson's works, and this is by far his best work, even better than Snow Crash.
The book is set in the present, where we can all read about toxic waste spillage, oil tankers running aground, and mega-pollution in the big cities. The narrator is Sangamon Taylor, an eco-warrior whose goals in life seems to be eating vietnamese food, getting the girl, and getting the big chemical corporations to pay for their dirty deeds.
ST hilariously tells his story in the first person, and he does so in a way that keeps you turning page after page, rooting for the little guy and wondering what he'll get into next.
If you were dissappointed by Stephenson's other books (The Diamond Age and Cryptonomicon), you'll want to forget about those and dive right into this. Just don't forget to wear a "dry suit". After all, you don't know what they're dumping into the water.

This is a fun, readable book, but it is certainly not a masterpiece. S.T. is a cool character. I like the handling of drug-use in the book. It's pretty realistic in that it's as quotidian as eating breakfast. The problem in this, as in Big U, is the "larval" stage of N.S.'s hipster style dates easily. When S.T. calls a yuppie an "android from Hell" I groaned. Wasn't this already a cliche in 1988? Style aside, the plot is pretty standard, the action is unremarkable, and the supporting characters are, as has been mentioned by a lot of fans, so thin you can read an Evinrude tech manual through them. But I can't deny that I was compelled to finish the book and had a good time with it. (By the way, the tech side of things: chemistry, weapons, cars, etc. was cool as usual. I appreciated the 'condescension' of explaining the workings of molecules using beer cans. I got a C- in Chemistry in 11th grade, which was thankfully the last time I had to grapple with valences and such.) If you're interested in Ecology, hard-boiled fiction, the 80s, or Neal Stephenson's writing, read this book. If you're not, read something else. One other thing: if you read this and Cryptonomicon check out the similarities between Dolmacher (Zodiac) and Loeb (Crypto) -- psycho nerds with survival skills. I guess N.S. puts his money where his pen is when it comes to recycling.

Neal Stephenson, in _Zodiac_, gives his readers one heck of a tale. The proganist, not necessarily hero, is likable in his sheer audacity and the amazing ways he finds to "rock the boat". Stephenson has turned this book into both a commentary on the environmental crisis of our day and a suspense thriller worthy of any mystery writer. This book takes the reader for a ride around modern-day Boston and details all of the good and the bad that goes along with our modern-day cities. Natives of the Boston area and visitors to the region will recognize many of the sites in the book. This serves to ground the book in just enough reality for it to be believable. Fans of science fiction and thrillers, readers of modern fiction, environmentalists, and anyone looking for a good read should pick this up. I would say it's Neal Stephenson's best work.

Before Stephenson got into the habit of fashioning entire techno-historical realities to fool around in, he wrote this odd little eco-thriller. It's about environmental activism before the green boom in the late 90's and early 2000's, when environmentally concerned types were usually just one or two ideological steps away from being misanthropic survivalists, obsessive self-taught chemical engineers, or wanted fugitives, and were hardly seen as people with a broad interest in constructive human welfare. The book is narrated by one of these obsessive dorks. S.T. walks a fine line between a Palahniuk sort of macho-cynicism and outright violent neuroses. But its the brilliantly funny narration, of a voice too well-jaded by sleazy corporate maleficence, orchestrated media circuses and general public apathy, which keeps the book going. The characters tend to run a bit thin, and by the end Stephenson feels like he's just sort of rushing through all of the hoops necessary to make it all cohere (something that creeps up a lot in his fiction) instead of just giving the story space to breath. But like all subsequent Stephenson books, it's also filled with these exactingly researched high tech set pieces which he does better than just about anyone. It's William Gibson for waste treatment workers and wreck divers.(

Neal Stephenson is considered a "cyberpunk" writer due to his mega-hit "Snowcrash". This ghettoisation of his books is unfortunate, as it keeps potential mass market readers from discovering the excellent "Zodiac". Any reader who enjoys a fast paced thriller will go wild over this book! It is hard to put down & will disturb it's readers with the extent of the poisoning of our planet that we all cooperate in on a daily basis by participating in a market economy. Even though "Zodiac" is classed as science fiction, the facts in this book are documented & real; only the events are fiction, but anyone who reads the newspaper will recognize the basis for the characters & action. In summary: this is an exciting book that will stay with you long after you've closed the cover. READ "ZODIAC"!

This novel is the metaphysical opposite of Henry Miller's "Crazy Cock." That novel was a game first attempt by the author who ultimately carved a niche for himself using the first person narrative. The problem with Crazy Cock was that Henry Miller used the omniscient narrator in that novel, which took the edge off of his style.

This novel is the exact opposite of Crazy Cock in that Stephenson has written from the first person perspective, which is in tension with his greatest strengths as a writer. Mr. Stephenson is particularly adept at laying out his scenes with such detail that the imagery becomes almost tangible. The other attribute that sets him apart from other writers is his ability to truly develop multiple characters. (A side note: he is probably the best male author that I have ever read at creating strong female leads -- see Snow Crash, the Diamond Age, Cryptonomicon and the Baroque Cycle for some of the most a**-kicking female roles ever devised by a male author.) The first-person narrative simply does not lend itself to these strengths, which is why this is not one of Stephenson's better works.

That said, it's a rousing good story and a fun read. Like the Stephen Bury novels, it stands head and shoulders above the majority of novels that are classified as "thrillers." If you are comparing this novel with the thriller genre, it gets 5 stars. If you are comparing it with Stephenson's other work, it gets 3. I split the difference here and gave it four.

_Zodiac_ challenges the imagination while sticking primarily
to the facts. In typical Neal Stephenson style, the plot is intricate, frenzied, and scattered but weaves itself insidiously into an undenaible reality that questions our perceptions of the world... unlike _Snow_Crash_ and _Diamond_Age_, however, _Zodiac_ doesn't need to be set in the future. To get a real feel for the facts that drive this book and a healthy mistrust of public water supplies, try reading Rachel Carson's _Silent_Spring_ along with _Zodiac_.

My only qulam about the craftsmanship of the novel is that it might have been more effective as a series of short stories so that the "lesser" of Sangamon Taylor's exploits could have been better elaborated

"Zodiac" by Neal Stephenson, © 1988

The best part of this story is the travel through Boston. It is a pretty good story of how the Earth is being polluted and those who want to save it. The name is the name of the boat the eco-nuts use. The story is not so much a story of whodunit as it is an adventure. Sangamon Taylor runs the group who stumbles onto a scheme to use bacteria to consume Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This would not be so bad except the opposite happens as well, and that is bad. They have to expose the bad guys and still not be illegal about it. That is their mantra, "Do what you can to expose the evil, but do it so no one goes to jail or has to pay for the action."

Great book on Environmental Protection, Yuppies, Hippies, politics, lifestyle and much more.
This is a great vintage Stephenson when he was still short and funny.
As good as the Snow Crash.
N.S. can be compared to Michael Crichton in how deep he studies the issues and how he gets the reader into the story. Unfortunately they both deteriorate to the absurd endings, but this is the nature of the beast: these stories can't end well in real life, but who enjoys books without a happy end?
Again - old but still very much to the point and very entertaining.

Reading some reviews and some background on Neal Stephenson, one might get the impression he is a SciFi writer. Some of his books, like Snow Crash (which I loved) definitely fit that classification. However, I thought I'd mention that if you are turned off by the SciFi label, Zodiac really isn't SciFi and is definitely worth a read! For the non-SciFi fan, this would be a great intro to Stephenson's style and I can almost guarantee you'll rush out and read some more. I started with Cryptonomicon and got hooked. I then read Snow Crash and now Zodiac. (Soon to read the rest!) I think Stephenson is a brilliant writer and deservers a huge following and narrow classifications don't do his writing justice.

Set in Boston this thriller centres on the exploits of the oddly monikered Sangamon Taylor aka The Toxic Spiderman. He is a chemist working for a group of environmentalists called GEE, and is trying to prevent pollution of the waterways by chemical companies. As a professional pain in the ass he publicly humiliates and embarrasses the major chemical corporations that are polluting the environment.
Sangamon Taylor is a chemist for the Northwestern chapter of GEE International (Group of Environmental Extremists). He is blond shaggy haired and wears tennis shoes and multiple t-shirts. A graduate of Boston University he is looked down upon by those from MIT.
He sees himself as the archnemesis of the chemical company Basco the number two polluter in the table of polluters of Boston Harbour. The Boston population as a whole and the sewage they produce hold the number one spot.
Zodiac is the only hardboiled ecological thriller I know of and it features what has become the trademark Stephenson wit. The book features assassination attempts, genetically engineered bacteria and a cast of characters that ranges from Native Americans to the Executives of chemical companies and their heavy metal loving teenage sons.
A mystery not of the whodunit variety, but more of the what the heck happened and why did it happen. The book also acts as an introduction to environmental issues and the science of pollution.
Even though it doesn't feature any hackers the hacker ethos is present in the book in the form of Sangamon Taylor a cool anti-establishment chemistry nerd.
The return of the psycho nerd Dolmacher in Zodiac has similarities to that of Andrew Loeb in Cryptonomicon. Both of them have survivalist skills and seem to flit between being sane and a bit creepy to being completely psychologically deranged.
The book lacks in characterisation of everyone outside of the central character of S.T., but as the book is told in the first person from his perspective this reflects how he views the world and the people around him.

A fun read that takes you into a "what if" scenario in the present where corporations are dumping toxic waste in the waters off Boston.

Like "The Big U" it's set in an a plausible present day environment but while it's not as over-the-top as "The Big U" is, it's just as far out there with crazy but believable characters. The story reads well & the plot develops briskly as the situations get more intense, like a single-threaded "Snow Crash" rather than the deep reading of "Cryptonomicon" or intensity of "The Baroque Cycle" trilogy.

Well worth reading for an enjoyable story.

I'm a HUGE Neal Stephenson fan. That is to say, I was until I tried to slog through the mire that is the Baroque Trilogy. Now I'm a fan of *old* Neal Stephenson, and Zodiac is about as old as it gets. Don't get me wrong, the Baroque Trilogy is nuanced, has several pretty well-developed characters, and is chock full of the contemporary organizationalist themes we've come to expect from a mature and sophisticated post-cyberpunk Stephenson, but it doesn't *pop.* It reads like the epic fantasy trilogies it's modeled on.

Zodiac, however, pops hard enough to make Hiroshima look like a wet fart. The writing is gutsy, the characters are raving left-wing schizoids, and it feels like Stephenson enjoyed the hell out of himself writing this crusade against The Man. (For those who don't know, it's a book about radical vigilante environmentalists; basically, it's a neo-hippy's wet dream.) This is pre-Cryptonomicon, pre-Snow Crash Stephenson, when he wrote because he loved writing, without notoriety or popular expectations to get in the way of the book itself. This is Stephenson having fun with the words, not just the plot. BUY IT. LOVE IT. 4 stars only because Snow Crash is even more fun to read.

My take: this was early in NS's development as a writer. It shows. The writer that he has developed into would do a much better job.

But the premise is very interesting. An 'analytical chemist(?!?!)' as the hero (okay, I'm an analytical chemist, one of the few, the proud, and this may be the first fiction book I've ever read with one as the hero...) sets it apart a bit. Obviously the science in parts is a bit sophomoric. But in places it shines. In cases the characterization of different people are good. And the setting of Boston makes it interesting. The twists and turns will keep you turning the pages.
It's just at times the writing is way too earnest, way too explicative. Not to complain too much. My writing is often earnest and explicative as well. But then again, I am not much of a writer, except for science journal reports (and I am sure those aren't generally page-turners for the general public). It's just not to the level of his later stuff, Cryptomonicon, and the Baroque Cycle. I'd like to see a rewrite in his hands, actually. Of course it would turn into an 800 pager, probably, if not a 3000 page trilogy.

At any rate, its in my wife's stack of to-be-read now, and she is neither as critical as me generally, nor taking an analytical chemists view of the analytical chemist hero, so perhaps she'll give it a better review.

I am a big Stephenson fan after having read Diamond Age, Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon, but I was a bit hesitant to pick up Zodiac after I heard some mediocre reviews by other readers. However, I found Zodiac to be of the same quality reading as the other Stephenson books and a must read for any fan.
As with his other books, Stephenson has done his homework as he creates the world of the environmental activist living near the chemical soup called Boston Harbor. The story takes some twists and turns as we follow our hero S.T. as he tries to make the life of big time polluters a bit more difficult. However, overall the book is really enjoyable as Stephenson mixes toxins and science to create a plausible story. At the very least, it will make you a bit more wary of swimming near an outflow any time soon.

Zodiac, while not without flaws, is a fast, compelling read and if at the end of it you are not inspired to follow Sangamon Taylor's example and join a crusade against reckless pollution and environmental destruction, then you need to check both your pulse and political affiliation.

Though penned in 1988, this self-proclaimed "eco-thriller" is still timely and aside from a few anachronisms giving away its eighties origins, it could easily have been written five years ago instead of over fifteen. Stephenson's signature graphic-novelesque style fits the material well, though at times it seems forced. Certain elements, such as the omnipresent drug use, don't seem to add anything to the narrative but are rather just inserted to add color and "atmosphere." Others, such as the random and disjoined brief appearance of a cobra helicopter gunship taking potshots at our hero, seem like they would be more at home in a bad action movie, and are apparently only included to underscore the author's evident grudge against the US Government.

Nevertheless, the book's message about environmental activism is relentlessly driven home and right on target. It is obviously well-researched and Stephenson does a very good job of explaining abstruse scientific/medical concepts to the layman, while not bogging down the narrative with excessive exposition. In the hands of a talented scriptwriter, a skilled filmmaker and a bold producer, this book could be adapted into a very good movie.

The first 100 pages were very enjoyable reading with a lot of creativity, original characters, humor, and fast-moving action. After that, the writer gets bogged down in finishing his storyline--with only flashes of his original self occasionally coming up. He plods to the end. I was glad the book was over. His writing style is to string thoughts together--a reader needs to pay close attention. Unfortunatley, for me, some of his thoughts come out of leftfield. The house getting blown up with a grenade comes out of nowhere. And the barge being divided up into rooms was a stretch of the imagination. Nevertheless, If you can tolerate these, there's a lot of creativity to be enjoyed in this book. I gave this book 3 stars. Brilliant at the beginning but dry in the end. This author is worth a second read--probably Snow Crash for me.

Zodiac is a fun book that takes a boring subject like ecology and makes it 'cool' (for lack of a better word). Instead of hand-wringing eco-hippies shoving data down people's throats till they puke, S.T., the main character, is a wise-acre, quick thinking, media-manipulating environmentalist who gets things done--and makes some major enemies along the way.
Consistently, Stephenson's best books take place in 'the real world;' frankly, I found Snow Crash amusing but slow, and Diamond Age was a bear to get through. In both cases, the techno ideas were great but pages of explainations bogged down the stories. Here, the science is slipped in comfortably, much in the same way it was for "Interface," which he co-wrote under the name Stephen Bury. I have to say, I hope Stephenson starts writing books about here and now again instead of wasting his talents on futurist sci-fi.

This book isn't particularly deep. Its protagonist is a cynical jerk. But DAMN, is this book fun! It takes off like a rocket a few chapters in and just doesn't stop. Of course, it helps if you know an aging Hippie type who talke JUST LIKE Sangamon Taylor. I can imagine the voice of this guy with every line of the book I read, it's like a built-in special effect. I also learned something about organic chemistry and ecology, although I have no idea how much of the science in the book is legit and how much was made up for plot purposes. Don't expect "Snow Crash" and you'll probably enjoy this a lot.

I was amused initially, then dragged bodily into this romping, rollicking tale of a "granola James Bond." Stephenson shows his writing ability even in his sophomore effort. Though the characters may have been just slightly two dimensional, give this guy a break: he is hyper-plausible. Suspension of disbelief is not neccesary, and the dark humor really compliments this book's plot. He is able to weave a trancelike state over you throughout the book, so be a good little eco-warrior and give this book a read. You'll be glad you did.

I love Neal Stephenson and I've read all of his books. He creates a world unlike any other, overflowing with imaginative, sometimes factual detail that helps immerse the reader in the fictional universe. Initially, I was turned off by the idea of an eco-thriller, but I was finally forced to buy this book because Stephenson just doesn't publish often enough to keep me in new books. I was not sorry I bought this book, and I would recommend it to anyone with even a casual interest in Stephenson's work, ecological practice, or science fiction.

This book easily packs as much humor as Snow Crash, with science and society/corporate greed a lot closer to believable. (though more a farcical send-up than a realistic portrayal)

Great for developing even worse environmental paranoia than you already suffer!

I've read Snow Crash and Zodiac and I'm about to start reading Diamond Age. Zodiac starts strong and keeps trucking straight through to the action-packed ending, where various story threads come together in a satisfying explosion. If you eat organic veges and wonder how human-made chemicals are altering our reality, it's a thought-provoking scary story. Stephenson puts you in a Zodiac (zippy inflated motorboat) in the Boston harbor, evading bad guys and diving for sunken evils. It reads like a good movie.

I've read the four newest books from Neil Stephenson - this one's neither the best nor the worst, just... different. I've read other people's reviews, and here are my two cents.
True, the supporting roles are far less dense than ST, but that's the case in many novels (and in all of NS's stories) and a writer who gives side characters a deep personality dedicates more time to people descriptions and less to storytelling, at least that's what I've seen many times. And it's fast entertainment we're talking about here.
Anyway, this novel is great. It's funny, breathtaking, and it has a character which is both positively and negatively shown. ST has a pretty materialistic view of the people around him, he teams with them when they help him in what they want to do and leaves them when they are no longer necessary. NS has moved away from this somewhat, but the way he describes Amy in Cryptonomicon is only slightly "better". That's the way these novels work! You can always pay more attention to your SO's! On the other hand ST is a very energetic person, and his idealism is credible.
There's only one thing I found exaggerated: The ending. The showdown with the submarine bombs and the divers is incredible. Too much action, too many improbable incidents. Anyone would be scared as hell, swimming around in these PCB polluting (yes, not polluted, but -ing, if you don't believe me, read it yourself...) waters, but ST just did the right thing at the right time. Too much of a superhero.
But go and read yourself, it's worth the time that you invest, I assure you.

The good news is that this is a fine book, and suffers from none of the inherence or distraction of his other books. Read /this one/. It has actual pacing, plot, prose, and characters.

In fact, it's a CLASSIC, and that's not something I've only ever said about one other book, Ken Grimwood's /Replay/.

I hope that lightning (or whatever natural force gave Stephenson the momentarily ability to write this book) strikes again.

This is actually my favorite Stephenson book. As a writer, his curse is usually that he lets the plot go spiraling wildly out of control. Stephenson's books usually don't so much end as grind to a halt. Zodiac is a pleasant exception. Its taut plotting and brevity is clearly modeled on the great detective novels of Dashiell Hammet et al, and doesn't stray into self-importance, and it still has all the wit that makes his books so much fun. Great reading!

I was a little hesitant to read this book, afraid I'd have ecological evangelism pushed down my throat, but it wasn't like that at all. Stephenson merely uses environmentalists to convey the story, and you don't feel like he's preaching to you at all. The hard science keeps the story refreshing too. You learn a little while reading.
I have one complaint - there were a ton of typos - the kind Word's grammar or spell checkers wouldn't pick up, but any human editor would.

I went back and read this book after I completed Snow Crash and Diamond Age. Zodiac (along with "The Big U" is a great example of Stephenson's manic character development style at work. If you were more of a fan of Snow Crash than Cryptonomic, you'll really enjoy Zodiac.

Ok, this book is about ecology, toxic waste, biotechnology and that irritating geek who always thought he knew more than you. A witty, thought provoking tale that has aged well. I found a copy in my library, and enjoyed it so much, I actually went out and bought a copy of my own. This is a ripper of a tale, but if you know any biology or chemistry, you'll love this book even more! I can't recommend this book highly enough!

Neal Stephenson needs to hurry up and write some more books.
I've read most of them and I'm running out fast.
They're all darned fine, too.
I blew through this one in a couple of days. It's laugh out
loud funny in some places. Interesting perspective on the
city of boston's geography. Kinda makes me wish I had a
zodiac myself.
I didn't say too much about this book, did I...just read it.

Overview:

Marketed as an "Eco-Thriller", this book notably precedes (both temporally and in quality) Michael Crichton's State of Fear, although the books have some surface similarities. Perhaps the most significant difference is that this book is fun, while the latter is not so much.

Clear similarities exist, as well, between this work and the author's first work, the classic "Big U" and his, perhaps, most famous one, "Snow Crash". Those who enjoyed these two books will probably enjoy this one as well, and vice versa.

A. Plot

The plot of the book needs to be especially strong, since this book is marketed as a thriller. So a main question is whether the plot is strong enough. In this book, it is.

Sangamon Taylor, known as S.T. is the narrator and protagonist, who collects money from an environmental group in order to maintain his daily activities, which consist of terrorizing (in a soft way) the employees of said companies for the actions of their corporate boards.

The plot is developed well, if a bit slow for many people's tastes. The ending is satisfying and conclusive, and the beginning has what many thrillers need. A quick burst of action that get you committed to the story and the characters quickly so that the background information doesn't come too soon.

SPOILER WARNING:

In the middle of the book, the plans of the ecologically negligent company are revealed. The one piece of scientific inaccuracy of which I am aware in this book is that the company could have accidentally released the second strain of bacteria, which make the PCB's, instead of consuming them. In reality, this almost could not have happened. But, charmingly, it wouldn't HAVE to. The fact is, as S.T. explains, thermodynamics will often determine the direction of a chemical reaction. If there is enough inorganic chloride around, and the bacteria have appropriate enzymes, they could easily synthesize some PCB's, even if they are the bioremediation strain. It is only unfortunate that Neal Stephenson got this part wrong, because about ten pages early, bells started going off in my head, and I thought, "Uh oh..."

END SPOILER

B. Characters

Most of the characters in the book have been called stereotypes by many reviewers here on the store. There is a little truth to this. I wouldn't say, however, that they are so much stereotypes as they are undeveloped. S.T. is a loner, and he spends most of the novel in his own company. The other people in the book are something of a mystery to S.T. He doesn't really seem to enjoy the company of other people, and is willing to avoid them when possible, for the most part. Since the book is told from his perspective, it is unsurprising that there are few details about them. This is clearly not a result of a lack of talent on Mr. Stephenson's part, as his earlier (and even more so, his later) book(s) demonstrate. This has to be seen as a willful choice on his part.

Therefore, the characters (and the characterization) are strong, coherent, and consistent with the protagonist's point of view, and are well done.

C. Setting

The novel is set in Boston, irredeemably so. This could have been otherwise set in Seattle, San Francisco, or maybe Antwerp. But that's about it. You need a combination of biotech, industry, hippies, and harbors. The setting directly and compellingly adds to the book, which is a nice touch.

D. Theme

The theme of the book is that the ruthlessness of negligent companies can only be countered by ruthlessness of individuals who are committed to preserving the environment. A second theme, that accusations of terrorism are not the same as actually BEING a terrorist, is quite timely, despite the fact that it was written some twenty years ago.

E. Point of View

The point of view is first-person, centering on S.T. For a careful and insightful analysis of this, find "Unnecessary" Quotes "'s review. He or she points out the pitfalls in this narrative style, particularly for Neal Stephenson. Acknowledgement of this can be seen in Stephenson's later avoidance of this perspective.

F. Aesthetics

The aesthetics require some work. This is perhaps the biggest difference between Neal Stephenson's early work and his more contemporary books. In this book, he hasn't yet developed his ability to describe the settings that will be so key to later works like the Baroque Cycle and Anathem.

Conclusion:

The book is well-written, well-characterized, and entertaining. The plot is developed with skill and artistry. Aside from a single technological inaccuracy (which was actually not only unnecessary, but counterproductive - see the spoiler region for details), the story is quite accurate as far as technology goes.

The story moves a bit slower than many thrillers, but it has other strengths, such as S.T. who is an amusing character, and insight into popularly unavailable knowledge about how ecological guerillas think, that more than make up for it.

Grade: B

Harkius

After reading all his recent books, I went back to read this early Neal Stephenson work. I didn't mind that it was not Science-Fiction and appeared to take place in the 1960's or 1970's, I still enjoyed it. If I wasn't already a Stephenson fan, this book would have made me want to read more. It was a fast paced eco-detective story, and dealt with a serious subject (water pollution) with wry, tongue in cheek humor (thanks to it's likeable main character, Sangamon Taylor). Being a Chemical Engineer I appreciated his extraordinarily clear and easy to follow explanations of chemistry. The book could have easily bogged down there, but did not. Definitely worth adding to your Neal Stephenson collection.

Should be required reading for the Environmental Engineer. Already is required reading for the activist. (Well, at least we require it. :-))

This novel portrays a problem and a solution that is within the grasp of the everyday man--you don't have to be a Jedi to defend your environment. Standing around and bitching is only a little better than nothing. Taking action by finding smart people to help is the way to go. And if you have scientific skills, then shame on you for not helping!

Read this thriller which Micheal Crichton should have written but didn't because he was too busy confusing his readers about global warming.

Zodiac is different from Stephenson's other books - it's short (only 300 pages), low tech (although there is a little chem discussion), and focuses primarily on one character. A quick, fun read and an interesting commentary on environmentalism and terrorism, considering that it was written in '88. I love its tribute to Boston, but, frankly, if I didn't know the area so well I might not have enjoyed the book as much. It's not Snow Crash or Crypto, but it is definitely worth the read.

Neal Stephenson is on a roll with this one, a really funny book set lovingly in Boston Harbor. The hero combines feats of derring-do in a rubber raft (the Zodiac of the title) with a sharp wit and complete intolerance for his inferiors.
In the mix is also some interesting commmentary on political campaigns and industrial pollution, as well repeated references to Joan Jett's great cover of Jonathan Richman's "Roadrunner."

Buy the very, very cool DA. Some of Neal's funky web-available stories (i.e., Simoleons). Even the jumbled but visionary SC. But spare yourself this drivel. *** Let me count the reasons: (1) The characters are complete cardboard. (2) The tone of the book is the tone of this review - arrogant and supercilious. (3) Neal's good at envisioning nanofuture and infofuture, but his biofuture sucks. ** Please, please, don't let Neal support himself by writing junk - we need his gems

Ok, so I just finished plowing through the grand adventures of ST and what can I say: wow! comes to mind. I introduced myself to Stephenson's world with The Diamond Age followed closely by Snow Crash, and yes, finally read Zodiac, finishing it about 10 minutes ago. While I wouldn't put it up to par with the calibre of some of his later works, Stephenson definitely has a gripping story here. My only problems had to do with some of the characters. While ST was described in near infinite detail, I am afraid that even nearing the end the book, the baddies were so numerous I had trouble keeping them straight. As well, SC and DA were both complicated books, with twisting and intermeshed plots.. this one had one, linear and clear story.. admittedly a tiny disappointment.... Still worth a read, especially if you're a fan!

That cyberpunks can deride this novel as a sell-out even though it was written before 'the other stuff' speaks volumes. Cyberpunks: this is the source, so switch off those Nintendos and unzip your anoraks. There's more to Stephenson than the future imperfect, and he was better when he wasn't trying to out-Gibson Gibson. Radically liberal it may be, but Zodiac's also entertaining, thought-provoking and damned funny!
Just my opinion.
MarkH
[...]

Neal Stephenson's "Zodiac" isn't any sort of great literature. But for your anti-establishment amusement, it doesn't get much better than this.
Any environmentalist will love this book, all about clogging industrial drainage pipes and other forms of "radical" environmentalism. The characters are funny, the corporations are evil, and the writing is witty. What more can you really ask for on a Summer afternoon?

I am far from an environmentalist but this book made me want stop up drains and keep people from polluting. The main character was a jerk and I loved it. The science seemed pretty real. (anthro major not science major so anything would seem real to me). Too bad not all of Neal's books are this good.

This is a must read! My dad let me read this book and I thanked him. It is a great thriller and one of the most suspenseful books I have ever read. I dont know how anyone could hate this book. Stephenson describes every detail right down to the point. READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like most people, I read Snow Crash first, and loved it. Zodiac isn't nearly as intellectual as Snow Crash, nor does it have nearly the same depth, but it's tons of fun nonetheless. The protagonist, S.T., is wonderfully realistic, especially if you've ever moved within activist circles. I enjoyed the off-handed instruction in toxic monkeywrenching (how to block pipes, etc.) that echoes so well the eco-classic "The Monkeywrench Gang." Stephenson is a brilliant storyteller, and S.T. is a compelling hero. It's not the most intellectual of books, but great for vicarious revenge against polluting corporations.

The perfect book for a greanpeace voyage. An ecological
mystery set in and around boston, with some not
insignificant drug use. I like this book & read it again
every few years, It's a lite & easy to read with some
very funny parts.

Not only did this book open my eyes to a whole world of pollution going on right under my nose, but it made me re-think my whole approach to fighting pollution, all while being fun as hell. My only complaint was that it was so good I read it too fast.

Considering that this novel was a precursor to Stephenson's excellent Snow Crash and Diamond Age, I was full braced for disappointment. This was most certainly not the case.
Zodiac is a fast, funny, thrilling and scary look into the endeavours of a real-life 'toxic avenger', whose reason for living is to force the chemco's into cleaning up the contents of their outfall pipes - by any means necessary.
Stephenson does an excellent job of explaining the science of toxic waste in lay-terms without coming across as patronising, and manages to keep the pace going from beginning to end.
Top stuff.

After reading N. Stephenson's _Snow_Crash_, I very excitedly bought and started reading this book. The enthuiasm was short-lived. This book quickly turns into an environmentalist whacko's sermon. At points it is about as interesting as an Al Gore speech. The main character is a drug abusing eco-warrior. Forget the techno-savvy and future thinking found in Snow Crash. Our hero breathes nitrous-oxide gas and likes it. I never really cared enough about our hero to get into the story. Maybe Stephenson breathed too much nitro when writing this one.

Sangamon Taylor is no tree-hugger - tree-humper, maybe, but not a hugger - who manages the elusive grail of finding work he loves to do that also changes the world. That utopian set-up, plus a wild plot and MTV-age narrative, make this a book to reach for again and again when you've had another day wondering if your work is going to ever make a difference.

. . . because Zodiac's characters are not trying hard to exude 'coolness.' Sangamon Taylor, the main character, is a jerk that most of us can identify with on a basic human level, in spite of (or perhaps because of) his bad behavior. The influence of Joseph Campbell myths is less pronounced here than in Mr. Stephenson's other works.
Zodiac is well paced throughout and has a solid ending. It is the perfect book to stuff in a back pocket or backpack and while away a cold afternoon with.

The plot kind of sneaks up you. The attitude of the main character carries the book through as well as a pretty scary premise (i may never go swimming again). All and all, this book was a lot of fun. S.T. is like a down and out MacGyver.

Became a fan of Stephenson's when I picked up Cryponomicon on a whim about 8 years ago. I thought the cover looked cool. I've enjoyed everything he's written since that time. This was my first foray into his earlier work having just finsihed off Anathem. I was pleasantly surprised that his depth, wit, mind, and knack for making data and fact intetesting is present in his earlier work. I think anybody who enjoys Stephenson will like Zodiac. I wouldn't consider myself even a mild environmentalist, but am still quite enthralled with this novel.

As a toxicologist, I had a lot of fun with Stephenson's treatment of the environmental catastrophe's littered throughout the book. The story is a lot of fun and I'm happy to have read it, but it's a definite plus that I started with Stephenson's book SnowCrash first. Had I read this earlier on I probably would have waited quite awhile to read any other works from this author. I'll definitely be reading Cryptonomicon and The Diamond Age here very shortly.

Neal Stephenson takes a break from reinventing the 'Net and introduces us to the land, air, sea, and... sludge. Boston traffic really is that bad, both in the harbor and out. Would YOU eat the fish? S.T.'s tactics are sneaky, his eating habits are repulsive, his attitude needs a readjustment -- and you find yourself grinning at every damned thing he does.

In this book, Stephenson introduces us to Sangamon Taylor, who can be best described as a geek James Bond. Taylor fights the bad guys with a clever mix of chemistry, engineering, and a bit of spunk. I had a great time reading this book and would recommend it anyone.

I really liked S.T. (The Protagonist) his views and thought processes were hillarious! At times though, so much was happening at once, I felt as if the story hit sharp turns out of nowhere. I think if NS would of been more descriptive at times, painted more of an imaginative picture, Zodiac would have been closer to flawless. Instead, some of the book was very enjoyable and at other times the read was kind of annoying.

Sangamon Taylor is, as the back of the book says, a "professional pain in the ass". He's trying to stop the major corporations from dumping toxic wastes into Boston Harbor and he has a lot of fun pissing them off. Eventually his actions catch up with him and now he's got people after him.

This book is hysterical with great one liners. An excellent piece of science fiction.

Amazing!
I found this book to be better than Snow Crash, and a LOT better than The Diamond Age.
Very entertaining, with a lot of amusing sequences about the chemical industry.
At points I found myself laughing so hard I started a coughing fit.
'nuff said.

I liked this book. Yes, I read the "Show Crash" first and liked it very much. (And Neuromancer, too) I think every author is entitled to try different styles. It only sharpens the skill. Gibson gets a little tiresome after a 3rd novel: it's all the same. "Zodiak" brought some fresh air with it (and some fresh water too). Can't wait for Stephenson's new book, whatever it will be!

Despite the fact that this book is usually stocked in the sci-fi category, it really isn't. Not in the 90's-00's, anyway. Any Stephenson fan will enjoy this book. Lot's of the usual suspense and plot twists.

Gideon's Fall: When You Dont Have a Prayer, Only a Miracle Will Do This novel was a light fun read. Much different than snow crash or diamond age. It will resonant any who came to age in the early eighties. In fact, it made me go out and purchase a zodiac....think of that.

I read this book because I had first read the Baroque Cycle and loved them even with the extreme length and occasional nothingness , so when i saw a shorter novel I thought i had struck gold, and indeed I had. Every portion of this book is amazing and fulfilling.

I really enjoyed this book, though not as much as Snow Crash.
Perhaps the other people reviewing it didn't like it because they expected something in the same vein to some of his other books. It's different, but it's still Neal Stephenson.(oh, if you are in SA and a Stephenson fan, mail me :)

What a great book! The plot is well thought out, the information well researched and the situational comedy is superb. S.T.'s character is classic, hilarious and so smooth. An EPA James Bond. Definitely a must read.

Interesting discussion of the problems inherent in the US environmental policies and the dangers of technology when it comes to the environment. The serious stuff is well encapsulated into a interesting narrative featuring well crafted characters.

Read this a year or so ago. Great fun to read but
as I recall there were some slow spots within it
that kept me from giving it 5 stars.
In general I will buy and read any of Neals works
after Cryptomicron[sp].

I listed to the audio version of the book thru [...]. Narration was very good. I really didn't like the main character. After a while, I felt like the author was trying to create a Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas for the younger generation. This time without an attorney and with Nitros Oxide. But the scenes weren't nearly as funny as Hunter S. Thompson. Instead of Rolling Stone Mag paying all the bills, it's a "environmental" organization. There is some cool science explained for the non-major. After a while I got tired of the "Corporate Imperialism with guns is the ultimate evil" meme. I didn't really didn't recognize much of a plot.

Worth reading if you want some laughable insight into the thinking of a hypothetical enviromental true believer with a chemistry degree.