Neal Stephenson is one of the great authors of contemporary sci-fi—not only because he’s widely read, but also because his work unabashedly high-fives working scientific theories. Never one to underestimate his readers, Stephenson loves to wade in and explain interesting ideas kicking around the worlds of science, technology, and engineering, and then wrap them all up in a gripping speculative tale.
His newest work Fall: or, Dodge in Hell actually opens in modern-day Seattle (Stephenson is a Seattleite), and playfully jabs at his chosen city before setting to its purpose of exploring the future of social media, online identity, and the pursuit of eternal life. Like his 2015 space epic Seveneves, Fall tallies up nearly 900 pages, which I read at a running pace before conducting the following interview.