Cryptonomicon

I selected Cryptonomicon because it appears on io9's “The Twenty Science Fiction Novels that Will Change Your Life” list. (http://io9.com/361597/the-twenty-science-fiction-novels-that-will-change-your-life) I started working my way through the list last spring and when I ran across a copy of Cryptonomicon in my favorite used book store, I decided the time had arrived.

Rarely does it take me so long to finish a book! I believe I started this one toward the end of August and didn't finish it until the end of October. Granted, it is over 900 pages long, but even so I'm usually a pretty quick reader. But this book was “chewy”. I had to intersperse several other lighter reads into the middle of it to give myself a break now and then.

A novel set in two different eras, the early 21st century and World War II, its subject matter is complex and requires a great deal of concentration. As the title suggest, cryptology plays a major role in the book's plot. And not on a superficial level either. Sometimes the descriptions of the development of the different codes wanders into higher order mathematical concepts I only wish I could truly understand. I wanted to pull out my calculus and differential equations textbooks so I could start studying math again! Granted it wasn't all super technobabble...you had your guy chases girl, gets into trouble and then wins girl plot lines in there too. Not to mention good guy/bad guy drama on the order of a James Bond film. But the codes and the intrigue behind them really drives the story. I'd recommend Cryptonomicon to anyone with an interest in codes, cryptology, encryption technology and also possessing just enough geek to see it through. I BARELY did... :-)