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Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Tuesday - First Chapter - First Paragraph - Seveneves



Each Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile By the Sea shares the first part of a book that she is reading or thinking about reading.  This week I'm sharing the first few paragraphs of Seveneves by Neal Stephenson.  This book is way outside of my norm, but somehow, I'm intrigued and interested.  At least enough to try it.  See what you think:



     The moon blew up without warning and for no apparent reason.  It was waxing, only one day short of full.  The time was 05:03:12 UTC.  Later it would be designated A+0.0.0, or simply Zero.
     An amateur astronomer in Utah was the first person on Earth to realize that something unusual was happening.  Moments earlier, he had noticed a blur flourishing in the vicinity of the Reiner Gamma formation, near the moon's equator.  He assumed it was a dust cloud thrown up by a meteor strike.  He pulled out his phone and blogged the event, moving his stiff thumbs (for he was high on a mountain and the air was as cold as it was clear) as fast as he could to secure the claim to himself.  Other astronomers would soon be pointing their telescopes at the same dust cloud--might be doing it already!  But--supposing he could move his thumbs fast enough--he would be the first to point it out.  The fame would be his; if the meteorite left behind a visible crater, perhaps it would even bear his name.
     His name was forgotten.  By the time he had gotten his phone out of his pocket, his crater no longer existed.  Nor did the moon.


Blurb:

What would happen if the world were ending?

A catastrophic event renders the earth a ticking time bomb.  In a feverish race against the inevitable, nations around the globe band together to devise an ambitious plan to ensure the survival of humanity far beyond our atmosphere, in outer space.

But the complexities and unpredictability of human nature coupled with unforeseen challenges and dangers threaten the intrepid pioneers, until only a handful of survivors remain . . .

Five thousand years later, their progeny—seven distinct races now three billion strong—embark on yet another audacious journey into the unknown . . . to an alien world utterly transformed by cataclysm and time: Earth.

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As I said, I'm not much of a science fiction reader or even a reader of dystopian books at all.  However, I have read a few in my younger years, notably Alas Babylon and Lucifer's Hammer.  We'll see if this one works for me.  What do you think?  Would you keep reading?

45 comments:

  1. Not normally my type of book but I am quite intrigued....

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    1. Totally understand. That first sentence...

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  2. I'm not much of a sci-fi reader either, but every once in a while they're fun to read. This sounds like a great story, and I like the way it starts.
    My Tuesday post features THE LAND OF MANGO SUNSETS.

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  3. I do like to venture in SF once in a while, and this sounds like it has possibilities. I'd probably want a glimpse at the main characters though before I committed.

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    1. Yes, I'm not sure about characters or development in that regard. I've heard this is a pretty techie book.

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  4. I'm not much of sci-fi reader either, though I generally like dystopian. Sooo, this one may work for me. I like the opener a lot.

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    1. I know. The opening just begged to be put on this meme. LOL

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  5. I'm finding I'm liking these types of books more. Girl Who Reads

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    1. I've certainly liked them in the past. About time for another one.

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  6. :) Alas, Babylon and Lucifer's Hammer! Read them so long ago! The only Neal Stephenson I've read is Cryptonomicon, which I loved. I've been intending to read more by Stephenson--so maybe this one will be next.

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    1. Me too! I've heard good things about Cryptonomicon as well.

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  7. Can't take dystopian books, even though "grands" do. So nope, I'd not "want" to be pulled in . -grin-

    Look forward to your review though! Even if I am too much of a wimp!

    Tessa

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    1. I can understand that this wouldn't be for everyone, Tessa. :-)

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  8. The opening hooked me, so I'd keep reading, even though this is not one of my usual genres.

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  9. I just love that opening! It really pulls you right in, doesn't it? This isn't my typical read either (science fiction, I mean), but you definitely have me curious. I think I'll add this one to my wish list.

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    1. It does! Like a said above. this just begged to be part of this weekly meme. LOL

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  10. The language drew me in...even though I don't usually read this kind of book. Now I am definitely curious. Thanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.

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    1. Yes, I think it's worth a shot at least. Might not work for me, but if it does, it might work very well. :-)

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  11. I'm not a science fiction reader either, but I liked the beginning of this book. It made me think and it drew me in to find out what earth was like five thousand years later.

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    1. I agree, Margot. That's what I was curious about as well.

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  12. I don't like to imagine the moon disappearing!! I read a book by him several years ago (Snow Crash) and though it was a bit of work, I was glad I read it! I'll look forward to hearing what you think about this one.

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    1. No, I don't really want to imagine that either. But, it makes for a compelling beginning. :-)

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  13. I'm curious about it but I think I'll wait to see your review before I'd pick it up. Like you I'm not much of a dystopian/scifi reader so I'm a little more cautious with those genres.

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    1. Yes, I am usually. No promises here. I'll give it a shot in a few days and see how it goes.

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  14. Sounds suspenseful, but sci fi is not a genre I read often.

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  15. Not a sci-fi fan but this really sounds interesting. I may want to check it out at some point.

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    1. It's a possibility for me. I'll give it a few dozen pages and see if I can get involved in the story.

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  16. I don't read a lot of science fiction, thought my husband does. And we both watch Sci-Fi movies. But the moon blowing up...this is my worst nightmare. I am not sure I could continue.

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    1. I totally understand. That would be a horrifying scenario in real life.

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  17. I'm not much of a science fiction reader either. Although I do like to watch the movies and TV shows. I think I would want to try it.

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    1. Yes, I do too. All the way back to old sci fi shows from long ago - like the original Star Trek. :-)

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  18. This opening got my attention. This is not the kind of book I'd normally pick up, bu the opening makes me want to read more.

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    1. My thoughts exactly. We'll see if I can get involved in the story. The whole Earth in 5,000 years is intriguing.

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  19. I really want to read this one, and that opening just made me want to read it even more!

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    1. Good. Hope you can pick it up, Michelle. :-)

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  20. I think this one sounds intriguing, but then I love dystopian fiction, so no surprise there! I'm planning to read this one someday soon.

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    1. Yes, I was attracted to the 'end of the world' theme. Have heard it is a little technical, so we shall see.

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  21. I wouldn't mind becoming an "amateur astronomer."

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  22. I'm intrigued, too. SciFi isn't really my thing, although I loved The Sparrow and liked Alas, Babylon. I'll probably read The Martian first then give this one a try. One of my coworkers said it was better than The Martian, so we'll see. :)

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    1. Hmmm...better than The Martian. Well, that one is definitely the flavor of the moment. A lot will want to read it before the movie comes out. I still haven't started this one, but I suspect I will soon.

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Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy to hear your thoughts and will respond as soon as I can. Happy Reading!