In Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson took science fiction to dazzling new levels. Now, in The Diamond Age, he delivers another stunning tale. Set in twenty-first-century Shanghai, it is the story of what happens when a state-of-the-art interactive device falls into the hands of a street urchin named Nell. Her life ? and the entire future of humanity ? is about to be decoded and reprogrammed.? NEAL STEPHENSON IS THE QUENTIN TARANTINO OF POSTCYBERPUNK SCIENCE FICTION.?HAVING FIGURED OUT HOW TO ENTERTAIN THE HELL OUT OF A MASS AUDIENCE, STEPHENSON HAS LIKEWISE UPPED THE FORM?S ANTE WITH RAMBUNCTIOUS GLEE.? ? Village Voice SNOW CRASH DREW ITS MANIC ENERGY FROM THE CYBERPUNKISH CONCEIT THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN VIRTUAL REALITY; IN THE DIAMOND AGE THE WONDERS OF CYBERSPACE PALE BEFORE THE EVEN MORE DAZZLING POWERS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY.? ? New York Times Book Review THE DIAMOND AGE ESTABLISHES NEAL STEPHENSON AS A POWERFUL VOICE FOR THE CYBER AGE?AT ONCE WHIMSICAL, SATIRICAL, AND CAUTIONARY.? ? USA Today STEPHENSON?S WORLD-BUILDING SKILLS ARE EXTRAORDINARY.?THE DIAMOND AGE SHOULD CEMENT STEPHENSON?S REPUTATION AS ONE OF THE BRIGHTEST AND WITTIEST YOUNG AUTHORS OF AMERICAN SCIENCE FICTION.? ? San Diego Union-Tribune