Get the message?
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Quicksilver is, of course, the name by which the metal mercury was originally known. Mercury is the Latin name for Hermes. Hermes is the messenger of the gods.
Much of Stephenson's Quicksilver - and Cryptonomicon, too - is involved with the sending, carrying, and - crucially - the deciphering of messages, whether man-made or contained in nature. It's also about humanity's need to believe that these messages exist even in places, events, and times when it would seem there is nothing to be divulged or inferred.
Great stuff. I've put links to both books in the Books section to the right.
Much of Stephenson's Quicksilver - and Cryptonomicon, too - is involved with the sending, carrying, and - crucially - the deciphering of messages, whether man-made or contained in nature. It's also about humanity's need to believe that these messages exist even in places, events, and times when it would seem there is nothing to be divulged or inferred.
Great stuff. I've put links to both books in the Books section to the right.
