Quotation of August

Neal Stephenson is considered by many to be William Gibson's successor as the cyberpunk writer of the 90's. I'm not sure I agree with that, but his novel Snow Crash, from which the below quotation is taken is definitely a good book. The below passage describes what happens when a Kourier (Y.T.) of the future, using a skateboard and a magnet to hook onto vehicles heading her direction, catches a family van in a burbclave - the defended, segregated neighbourhoods of Stephensons future world.

" The reaction is instantaneous, quick-witted by Burb standards. This person wants Y.T. gone. The van takes off like a hormone-pumped bull who has just been nailed in the ass by the berberd probe of a picador. It's not Mom at the wheel. It's young Studley, the teenage boy, who like very other boy in this Burbclave has been taking intravenous shots of horse testosterone every afternoon in the high school locker room since he was fourteen years old. Now he's bulky, stupid and thoroughly predictable. "

For more on Neal Stephensson, check out the homepage here. This American writes has also written The Big U, Zodiac and Diamond Age.

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