I really like my geography. The northwest gets a bad rap for all the rain, but that’s never really been an issue for me. In general, we get goldie locks weather. Not too hot in the summer, not too cold in the winter. Everthing else is just right. Plus, it is, for the most part, a very blue state. So, we have that going for us, which is nice. Another, often overlooked, feature of our geography is that Mr. Neal Stephenson also calls it home.
That, more than anything I suspect, means that we get a spot on the all too short book tour for new releases. I read his new book, Anathem, last week, and then followed it up by crossing the lake to listen to him read from the book. He also took questions from the audience. Unfortunately, I can’t really go into the book at the moment, because last I checked Sarah hadn’t finished it. And really, that shared experience has become a big part of what makes a new Stephenson book so special.
I can tell you that they are still working on the live action Diamond Age adaptation. That was my question when I got a turn at the Q&A microphone. He also stressed that the big difference writing for TV is that you just don’t get very many pages, and joked that for him, that can be a problem.
Also, Neal Stephenson is a really good guy. There was a kid ahead of me in the signing line that was mentally handicapped. But he’s also a huge Stephenson fan. He had forgotten his copy of Cryptonomicon that he wanted to get signed, and asked about the event the following day. Apparently though, the next stop has some kind of issue with folks bringing in books from outside to be signed. Stephenson listened to the story, and then proceeded to write out a note acknowledging that he would sign this guys copy of Cryptonomicon and told him to just show the note to anyone that gives him any trouble.
All in all, it was a very fun time. If you get the chance, a Stephenson speaking engagement is well worth your time. Although, I was left with one puzzling thing. When I made it to the front of the signing line, he asked me, “So, do you work here?” He didn’t elaborate on what led him to that conclusion, and I didn’t ask. But thinking about it, there was nothing that really said, book store guy. Chucks, Boston hat, purple UW tee. Very odd.
