Award-winning American author Neal Stephenson's new science-fiction novel
Fall, or, Dodge in Hell released in June 2019. Stephenson is known for his speculative fiction writing; he has written novels in science fiction, cyberpunk, post-cyberpunk and historical fiction genres.
Fall, or, Dodge in Hell's story unfolds in parallel worlds in the future. Multi-billionaire Richard “Dodge” Forthrast is the founder of a gaming company named Corporation 9592. He likes spending time with his niece Zula and his grand-niece Sophia. But when a routine medical check-up goes wrong, Dodge is pronounced brain-dead by the doctors and his family is left devastated with the sudden turn of events. That's when his will, which he wrote in his youth, surfaces. According to it, Dodge wants his brain to be preserved in a tech company by Elmo Shepherd until such technology is created that his mind could be transferred into a computer in the future. Many years later, his grand-niece Sophia develops a way for regenerating Dodge’s brain and makes him a-sort-of God in a new parallel digital world called Bitworld. It's the time when the internet has taken over the terrestrial world, called Meatspace, and people can now travel to Bitworld using Sophia's new technology. Meanwhile, Dodge and Elmo (who is now dead) are fighting for power in the parallel universe of Bitworld.
Sci-fi readers might like to add this new book to their summer reading list.
How critics view the book:
Publishers Weekly writes, "Fans of Stephenson’s passion for the minutiae of technological innovations will revel in the intricacies of his construction, but unwieldy dialogue, uneven pacing, and a narrow-minded view of the future betray the story’s promise."
Kirkus Review writes, "An audacious epic with more than enough heart to fill its many, many pages."
Jason Sheehan writes for
NPR, "Sometimes fascinating, sometimes excruciating, 'Fall' hums with energy".
Charles Yu writes for
The New York Times, "Neal Stephenson’s new novel — part tech, part fantasy — dazzles".
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