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Zodiac [Paperback]

Neal Stephenson (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

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Book Description

Publication Date: 24 May 2001

Two centuries after the Boston Tea Party, harbour dumping is still a favourite local sport, only this time it's major corporations piping toxic wastes into the water.

Environmentalist and professional pain in the ass Sangaman Taylor is Boston's modern -day Paul Revere, spreading the word from a 40-horsepower Zodiac raft. Embarrassing powerful corporations in highly telegenic ways is the perfect method of making enemies, and Taylor has a collection that would do any rabble-rouser proud.After his latest exploit, he's wanted by the FBI, possibly by the Mafia, and definitely by a group of Satanist angel-dust heads who think he's looking for a PCP factory, not PCB contamination.

Pretty soon dodging bullets is the least of Taylor's problems - because somewhere out there are an unhinged genetic engineer and a lab-concocted bacterium that could destroy all ocean life and that's just for appetizers.Frightening, funny, fast and furious, Zodiac is thrilling speculative fiction torn straight from today's headlines.

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Product details

  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Arrow; New Ed edition (24 May 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0099415526
  • ISBN-13: 978-0099415527
  • Product Dimensions: 13.1 x 2.5 x 19.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 555,955 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

Zodiac is a great read... A funny, non-stop adventure... A fun and fast-paced eco-thriller, with enough themes and "action" to keep the pages turning until they run out. (Peace News )

Book Description

Frightening, funny, fast and furious, Zodiac is thrilling speculative fiction torn straight from today's headlines.
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Eaten by the Bugs 28 Feb 2004
By Patrick Shepherd TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
Zodiac is described on the cover blurb as an 'eco-thriller', and for a change the blurb is close to being accurate. The book's main character is an ecological-crime detective, busily hunting down evidence of corporations illegally dumping hazardous waste and using publicity stunts and clogging up discharge pipes with cement as his main weapons against these companies. The book takes on a decided thriller aspect with the introduction of gene-tailored bacteria, designed to 'eat' contaminates, but there is a variety that generates them instead. How these bacteria are tracked down and controlled provides the main thrust for this book.

The plot is the main driver here, characterization outside of the protagonist is definitely skimpy, and in places the ecological warnings (though presented with apparent good scientific backing) become a little too strident, in places reminding me of Philip Wylie's The End of the Dream. Unlike some of his later books, his message is delivered almost directly, with little in the way of satire, irony, or his by-now patented brand of humor. The plot moves rapidly and logically, with enough potential hazard in the situation to easily quality as a 'thriller'. This makes for a quick read, but without his special zing that would make this book stand out.

Definitely an early effort, not in the class of his Snow Crash or The Diamond Age, still quite readable, but probably a must only for Stephenson hard-core fans.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Pacy SF Thriller 28 April 2003
By Byron Geoffrey Farrow
Format:Paperback
An early example of Neal Stephenson's work, this does not have quite the depth of imagination of later offerings (such as Snow Crash or The Diamond Age) but the action is fast, the use of language excellent and the science spot on. In most works of Science Fiction the science is Physics, yet in Zodiac it's Chemistry and Biology that get a chance to shine. The introduction of a character with some scientific training into a situation where those with more knee-jerk views often dominate is a pleasing feature of this novel. The plotting sometimes goes slightly astray (the Satanist Rock band's involvement is sketchy and ill explained) and our main protagonist certainly seems to be more a super-hero of the 50's who can do no wrong than a late 80's drop-out. However these minor points should not detract from this books appeal as a a good action read. I would like to know if it has inspired anyone to partake in some direct action?
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Stuff but not SF 26 April 1999
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Having read Snow Crash, Diamond Age, and Interface (written under Stephen Bury pseudonym), I bought this. It's a ripping good yarn, keeping me up till 2am, no bother. However, beware! It is subtitled 'the eco-thriller, and it is just that. Those expecting near-future or far-future adventures, as seen in other works, might be disappointed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars one of his early funny ones
Not quite hitting his stride yet, but still a rattling yarn. All the usual things you'd expect from Neal Stephenson - a bit of a science lesson snuck in between the visceral action... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. T. J. Thwaites
3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad :)
This is a little different to the usual books I read but found myself gripped and I read this is one day (yes it was raining outside). Read more
Published 22 months ago by C. L. Fraser
5.0 out of 5 stars One of my most read books...
I really love this book, and now own two copies because so many of my friends have been borrowing it. Read more
Published on 14 Aug 2009 by Littledasypus
2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing work from a master of Cyberpunk
Firstly, I'd just like to point-out that I'm usually a huge fan of Neal Stephenson - 'The Diamond Age' was his first work that I read, and I found the imaginative breadth... Read more
Published on 10 Feb 2004 by D. O'Brien
4.0 out of 5 stars Hard-boiled environmental thriller
Set in Boston this thriller centres on the exploits of the oddly monikered Sangamon Taylor aka The Toxic Spiderman. Read more
Published on 1 Oct 2003 by Matthew Wharton
5.0 out of 5 stars The Debut of the Granola James Bond!
Neal Stephenson has created a new cult figure in Sangamon Taylor - "the Granola James Bond" - a macho environmentalist who's fortunes are reflected in the size of the... Read more
Published on 20 Jun 2001
3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining eco-thriller but not a patch on his best
I like Neal Stephenson, so I was really keen to read Zodiac. And it started off strongly, kicking into the action with his trademark style. Read more
Published on 19 Jun 2001
4.0 out of 5 stars A great eco thriller
This early work from Neal Stephenson shows many of the features that made Snow Crash and Cryptonomnicon great books to read. Read more
Published on 19 Jun 2001
5.0 out of 5 stars The first book, and until Cryptonomicon, the best.
Ever since I read this book, I have eagerly awaited the next from this author. Three ( four if you count the one under another name ) books later this book is still one of the... Read more
Published on 8 Jan 2001
5.0 out of 5 stars It would be easy to mistake Zodiac for a crime novel
It would be easy to mistake Zodiac for a crime novel, were it not for the flashy futuristic cover, and that it resides in SCI FI section of bookshops. Read more
Published on 11 Nov 1999
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