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Termination Shock

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About this listen

The #1 New York Times bestselling author returns with a visionary technothriller about climate change

‘Stephenson’s reputation as a sci-fi titan is deserved’ Sunday Times

‘His most visionary, and timely, book yet’ Chicago Review of Books

‘Absorbing speculative fiction’ Guardian

‘Brilliantly entertaining… at science fiction’s cutting edge’ SFX

‘Ingenious and sometimes prophetic’ Telegraph

Neal Stephenson’s sweeping, prescient new novel transports readers to a near-future world where the greenhouse effect has inexorably resulted in a whirling-dervish troposphere of superstorms, rising sea levels, global flooding, merciless heat waves, and virulent, deadly pandemics.

One man has a Big Idea for reversing global warming, a master plan perhaps best described as “elemental.” But will it work? And just as important, what are the consequences for the planet and all of humanity should it be applied?

As only Stephenson can, Termination Shock sounds a clarion alarm, ponders potential solutions and dire risks, and wraps it all together in an exhilarating, witty, mind-expanding speculative adventure.

©2021 Neal Stephenson (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers Limited Dystopian Fiction Genre Fiction Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction Technothrillers Thriller Thriller & Suspense Technology Witty

Critic reviews

‘Absorbing speculative fiction’ Guardian

‘Neal Stephenson has never been afraid of engaging with big ideas within genre forms, and Termination Shock might be his most visionary, and timely, book yet’ Chicago Review of Books

‘Brilliantly entertaining… at science fiction’s cutting edge’ SFX

‘Wonderfully human… ingenious and sometimes prophetic… Stephenson has become a totemic figure for 21st century scientific writers’ Daily Telegraph

‘Stephenson’s reputation as a sci-fi titan is deserved’ Sunday Times
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This story - even more than some other Neal Stephenson creations - wanders about a lot. It's one of the things I generally enjoy about Stephenson - side alleys, dead ends (which usually relate though), lots of titbits of information alongside the story. This is quite a slow burn - a lot does not happen and does not happen fast. However if you like a detailed and somewhat surreal romp - this is for you. The "science" is interesting though I have no idea how realistic it is. The technology is near future believable - as is the climate stricken world.

If you like technology, environmental concerns, Dutch royalty, wild pigs, border disputes, small jets and raptors - amongst many other things - this could well be 22 hours of enjoyable listening for you too.

Enjoyable diversion...

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the story threads start off great, interesting, but the end, even though a long book, seems rushed and just a smidge average...
no his best work, but still worth a read.

no bad, but a little plain.

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Mr Stephenson takes you on quite a journey. From many perspectives he encourages us to consider what we are doing and what we might do. Not preachy. Full of life and its complications.
The characters were well developed. Made you care about them whatever their role in the unfolding narrative.
And this is a narrative disguised as a story.
Great performance too!

Ponder. Engage. Act?

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Don’t get me wrong, the narration is spot on for the most part. However, some of the accents he uses are just odd. Making it difficult when there are a group of people talking. Without spoiling the story I cannot say more.

Yet, the story is great. Thought provoking in parts. Witty in others. Lots of modern references making the not so distant future sound planted.

Good story, odd narration.

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Neal has the incredible ability to setup a situation and then write the actual moment so tightly, with such an elan, that you read right past it. It is one of the great pleasures in life to have to reread a Neal Stephenson passage. You just can’t believe what you’ve read and the sharp edge of people’s lives. In this novel, he manages a good ending, that got to me. Well done sir. Well done indeed.

Nailed it.

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