Totally unrelated to Second Life, but have been seized by a new enthusiasm for blogging and now going to report anything vaguely scientific that wanders into mind. I saw someone writing about science in fiction, and I had to recommend my current book.
It’s called An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears: it’s epically long and with very small print, so I’m only about half way through, but so far I can whole-heartedly recommend it to any scientist. Can’t vouch for this, having never read it, but it’s supposed to be very much the same style as The Name of The Rose.
Set in 17th century Oxford, the plot surrounds the murder of a New College fellow. A young girl is charged with the crime, and the book takes the form of four participants all relating their view of events. The first author is a Venetian would-be physician, and the whole of his testimony chronicles his work in Oxford pioneering blood transfusions. I really know so little about the development of modern medicine and it’s fascinating – the supporting characters include Robert Boyle, John Wallis and John Locke and it spares no detail of what they’re working on. Boyle is currently busy inventing the vacuum chamber! Sadly no sign of Robert Hooke yet (quite keen on him having paid so many overdue book fines to his library while in Oxford…) but I’ll keep you posted.
Neal Stephenson has two excellent books (and others which I haven’t got around to reading yet) similar to this (though more math related than biology related), also epics:
Oh, I’ve wondered about reading Cryptonomicon for a while now and never quite got round to it. Sort of felt I should read Snow Crash first! Do you reckon Cryptonomicon’s better than Snow Crash, then?
Well, Snow Crash is one of my all time favourite books and I would recommend you reading that first. Especially since it was one of the inspirtions for Second Life. I also loved The Diamond Age which I think you’d enjoy too.
The Diamond Age added to the wishlist – thanks!