casualblasphemy's review
4.0
An intriguing novella/thought experiment about a hyper-tall structure. Nail 30 of these together and you’ve got one of his full-bore novels.
ababoglo's review
4.0
3.5 roundup. Fascinating premise and enjoyable writing. But this novelette suffers from underdeveloped characters and underwhelming conclusions...
tartancrusader's review
3.0
Yeah, not bad. It feels incomplete, however, a fragment of a larger work.
graypeape's review
4.0
This novella was my first experience with Stephenson's work, so I don't know how it compares to his longer works. I enjoyed it, even if some of the more technical stuff got a little dull for me- other readers will find and have found it fascinating, just not my thing. Having said that, it was mostly interesting. The story is about a billionaire wanting to build a 20 KM high tower, and he enlists the help of a childhood friend to do so. There's a lot of story about finding the right piece of real estate for this venture, then a lot of science and engineering to get it built. In between, we get to know the main character, Emma, a bit better, as well as our billionaire, Carl. I liked Carl, he seemed like he'd be fun to hang out with. The story manages to keep your interest, even though there's not really any action till the end. The ending left me a bit wanting, it was a little abrupt to me, but YMMV. I would like to see the story continued, find out what happens once the tower is completed, what becomes of it. I don't know how likely that is, but one can hope.
#AtmosphæraIncognita #NetGalley
#AtmosphæraIncognita #NetGalley
marysobie's review
5.0
Great short story. super fast read - technical yet humanistic future of a space tower. And Neal writes female characters so well!
thebookler's review
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
rocabarraigh's review
adventurous
challenging
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sch91086's review
4.0
This is my first experience with Neal Stephenson. At a mere 104 pages, it was much less intimidating than some of his other very lengthy novels. The premise is very simple: eccentric billionaire wants to build tower twenty miles high. It moves at a meandering pace, going over everything from the tower proposal to purchasing the real estate to the actual engineering of the tower and the various obstacles they must face.
But the science behind building something so completely impossible was fascinating, and I didn’t mind the slower pace here. It’s obvious that Stephenson does his research and is very thorough about it. It’s incredibly imaginative and immersive. Little ideas kept popping up here and there like helipads and base jumping and they each put a smile on my face.
The characters were great. I adored Carl, which is truly impressive given that we never really meet him, and I liked Emma a lot too. Within the first few pages it occurred to me that she was someone I could have easily been friends with in real life, which I know sounds strange, but it isn’t a thought that occurs to me about fictional characters often.
It all culminates in one explosive ending which I won’t spoil. I very much enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick break from their usual fare. Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for the ARC to review.
But the science behind building something so completely impossible was fascinating, and I didn’t mind the slower pace here. It’s obvious that Stephenson does his research and is very thorough about it. It’s incredibly imaginative and immersive. Little ideas kept popping up here and there like helipads and base jumping and they each put a smile on my face.
The characters were great. I adored Carl, which is truly impressive given that we never really meet him, and I liked Emma a lot too. Within the first few pages it occurred to me that she was someone I could have easily been friends with in real life, which I know sounds strange, but it isn’t a thought that occurs to me about fictional characters often.
It all culminates in one explosive ending which I won’t spoil. I very much enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick break from their usual fare. Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for the ARC to review.
wwtpeng's review
4.0
A very detailed story on the construction of a space elevator from the eccentric billionaire financier to construction workers, to the property agent. This book has the type of the science that you would come to expect from Neal Stephenson, but an abrupt ending that will leave you disheartened.