The Diamond Age
The Diamond AgeOn the surface, TheDiamondAge by NealStephenson may seem like yet another sci-fi story about nanotechnology, but if you dig deeper, you'll find that one of the main themes of this book is Education and its role in the development of a child into an adult. The premise is that interesting people grow up very differently from most other people. In their youth, they learn very important lessons about life. Unfortunately, fewer and fewer people seem to be learning these lessons and this has led to the decay of society in this story.
Then, in a daring social experiment aimed to reverse this trend, 3 young girls were given a book: TheYoungLadysIllustratedPrimer?. But to call it a book does not really do it justice -- it is really a massively parallel computer in which each page can dynamically rearrange itself to tell a story. To add another twist to this book/computer, these stories are acted out by live (human) actors in realtime. Of course, TheYoungLadysIllustratedPrimer? would have to be networked for this to be possible. It's an amazing machine in and of itself, but what is more amazing is its contents.
Let it suffice to say that there are lessons in this book that you will not ever see in a normal classroom. --JohnBeppu
But maybe we should see such lessons in a "normal" classroom. The essence of the social experiment was subversiveness, but the lessons were practical in nature. Nell learns everything from martial arts to computer programming, only she learns in it a much more interactive way than things are taught in any normal classroom. (In fact, her education has a lot in common with the way martial arts are taught in general, but that is another discussion entirely.) And most of Nell's lessons went beyond simply learning how to do something. Through a plot that was inextricably tied to events happening in her life, Nell learned how to handle an ever-changing environment. The lessons grew with her. LordFinkleMcGraw?, who commissioned the creation of TheYoungLadysIllustratedPrimer?, had reflected on what qualities got him where he was, and upon discovering that he had failed to impart these qualities to his children, he decided he would attempt to impart them to his granddaughter through TheYoungLadysIllustratedPrimer?. In the artifex Hackworth, LordFinkleMcGraw? found a kindred spirit. So in the same way LordFinkleMcGraw? was going to subvert his granddaughter, Hackworth subverted TheYoungLadysIllustratedPrimer? in order to teach his daughter what he and LordFinkleMcGraw? felt was critical. Of course, they never anticipated Nell. Read this book- it's excellent, and it raises interesting questions in areas ranging from education to the social consequences of nanotechnology. NealStephenson really grew into his own with this novel.
[I]t is really a massively parallel computer in which each page can dynamically rearrange itself to tell a story. To add another twist to this book/computer, these stories are acted out by live (human) actors in realtime. Of course, TheYoungLadysIllustratedPrimer? would have to be networked for this to be possible.
And, in fact on yet another level the book is indeed about massively parallel computing and networking - there's the whole CryptNet thing going on, for example. All of Stephenson's books are that way - there are several different technological themes being dealt with, not all of which are necessarily apparent right away. Great, great stuff. --MikeSmith
I thought the first half or so of this book was great - up to the hospital ships and kids getting copies of the book. After that, it was a major disappointment - I felt the apocalyptic ending grated, and the production army of identical girls was in complete contradiction to the message the rest of the book gives about what a real education is. The whole Dreamers bit seemed unnecessary and unconvincing, too.
This last part of the book seemed almost from another work. It's nothing really to do with the primer.
Actually, it's all about the primer and education. Nell grew because she had a mother figure who acted out the roles of the primer. The army of identical girls had a synthesized voice acting out the primer. Remember, three girls received copies of the primer. Only Nell received the benefit, arguably because she lived in adverse conditions had a single, consistent actress who cared about her reading her the primer.
The army of identical girls never grew because NealStephenson is an idiot incapable of imagining a heterogeneous group of freely cooperating individuals. This is proved over and over again throughout The Diamond Age. Every "tribe" is highly coercive and homogenizing, especially the Han, the Vickys and the Drummers (who are insane and completely absent mentally). Only the Crypt Net is made up of free individuals, and what do we know about them exactly? Jack fuck all, that's what.
Now, you can delude yourself that there's some deep reason why Neil Stephenson "chose" to have an army of identical girls result from a bunch of identical books, but it'd be just a delusion. Because there is no "choice" involved. NS simply doesn't have the imagination to come up with a novel form of social organization. Just like he lacks the imagination to come up with any novel technology. Or even to understand the ramifications of technology proposed by EricDrexler. Or for that matter, even to understand the technology proposed by EricDrexler. NS is simply a lack-witted dumb dumb.
But hey, at least you're right on that TDA is about the Primer (AI) and education, because it certainly has nothing to do with Miranda. Miranda is a plot device that NealStephenson uses to try to tie up TDA since he can't come up with any semblance of a plot after the first half of the book. -- rk
I liked the idea of the DistributedRepublic?, sort of akin to the concept of anarchy. TheDrummers? and the WetNet? is a very believable idea to me... life on earth could be considered an incredible computing project. The idea of DNA codes alone (not to mention breathing, eating, farting, seeing, touching, sex, dancing, etc) is mind-boggling.
Humans are quite possibly the least evolved creatures on this planet (we have the most needs and are least adapted for it) [Aren't you underrating intelligence a tad?], and the WetNet? is a possible way for us to tap into the genetic computer and evolve at the same time.
The concept of seeds toward the end of the book was also particularly gripping. Nothing is more powerful than planting a seed and allowing something to grow its own way based on its own needs and patterns.
I kind of get the feeling that a lot of people are missing NealStephenson's big points here
I'd spotted those. I just regarded the treatment of those themes in the book as facile and uninteresting. I don't like to admit it, but I'm pretty much in agreement with rk's bit above (if not the ad hominem attacks)
more on EmergentBehavior
One aspect of Stephenson's writing that I particularly enjoy is one he borrowed from the 'classic' sci-fi authors, but seems to have been forgotten by many modern authors. Neal will directly and frequently use the vernacular of the period, especially invented slang, without trying to explain it to the reader. This leaves the impression that the narrator exists in the period described. The reader must ascribe meaning through contextual clues alone, and while this may be confusing, it greatly aids suspension of disbelief.
Actually, it's all about the primer and education. Nell grew because she had a mother figure who acted out the roles of the primer. The army of identical girls had a synthesized voice acting out the primer. Remember, three girls received copies of the primer. Only Nell received the benefit, arguably because she lived in adverse conditions had a single, consistent actress who cared about her reading her the primer.
All three girls provide key roles in the plot; the narration just happens to focus on Nell. Not long after Elizabeth ran off to join Crypt-Net, her father is suddenly able to locate and extract Hackworth from the Drummers after ten years. I don't see this as a coincidence, since the Crypt-Net is the bridge between the extant Dry-Net and the Drummers' Wet-Net. Fiona provides an emotional control and outlet for Hackworth during his time with the Drummers. Compartmentalizing ones emotions and accepting the resulting hypocracy is a key concept in the book regarding technological development, and is the reason for the success of the major phyles...Victorian, Nipponese. The book occasionally refers to the history of nanotech being not unlike that of atomic energy. Early versions were used in catastrophically destructive forms, but stopped shy of armageddon. An ongoing nanotech defensive arms-race did ensue, however. Just like Oppenheimer and Teller, the artifexes of the Diamond Age are forced to block out any emotional considerations of how their work could be used. Without Fiona, Hackworth could not have accomplished any work while submersed in the Drummers' emotional collective. Given the specific nature of how the Drummers spread, Hackworth was certainly not the first skilled artifex to join, yet only he made the crucial breakthroughs towards the Seed.
The atomic energy allegory is rather complete. The major phyles control how nanotech is used by controlling the Feed, in the same way the major powers of today control access to fissionable materials. The greatest threat to their stability is widespread nanotech access, or the Seed. The three girls' interactions with the Primer happen to be a catalyst for processes almost culminating with the actual completion of the Seed, but one cannot be surprised when a machine designed to teach subversiveness adheres to the Law of Unintended Consequences.
An 'Ender's Shadow' style rewrite of the book focusing on Elizabeth or Fiona could be very interesting.
--EN
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