Okay, so when I first started to read this book my first thought was, "WHAT!?!?!" It started out so strange to me. It was like being thrown into a foreign country without knowing the languge and trying to figure what the heck was going on. I had to reread the first couple of pages to try to understand what was going on. The I read the back cover and found out it said it takes place in the 21st century. I was thinking, "No way," this is way too futuristic. But I stuck it out and as I progressed through the first reading discovered many things about the book and now find it very intriguing. I think the part where Hackworth is reviewing the biography of Finkle-McGraw (p 19) clarified a lot for me and that is when the book really started to get grounded. I started to think of the book not in terms of a futuristic piece but as an alternate reality piece. When Hackworth is describing Finkle-McGraw's youth it sounds very similar to what I know about America. It's when he describes Finkle-McGraws accomplishments that things start to take a different direction. So it's not that this is so far into the future, to me, this book is simply describing a reality where nano-technology has literally exploded onto the main scene and has expanded technology to the point where it seems futuristic. I now find this alternate reality fascinating. I am still trying to decipher and visualize many of the things described but feel that I have a better grasp of the book now and look forward to finding out what more surprises are in store for us readers.
As far as Bud is concerned, I just finished the part where the tiny bombs have exploded in his veins, I find it hard to believe that this is the end of his character. I will read more and see if, by some miracle, he survives or if he comes back later in the book. I just find it odd that Stephenson would introduce so vibrant and interesting a character and kill him off right away. I am very curious as to what happens next. We'll see, we'll see......
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