By now, at the end of 2009, when most people hear "Neal Stephenson" they probably think Anathem, System of the World, and Cryptonomicon, in that order.  Cryptonomicon was so amazing, and little did we know at the time that it was only the beginning of this vast sprawling epic Stephenson was going to write - and continues writing still - and in longhand, by the way.

It's easy to forget that Stephenson had a science fiction career before Cryptonomicon, but he did, and it was great.  Today I want to focus on The Diamond Age, which is currently my favorite of Stephenson's earlier works.  This book is frequently overlooked by Stephenson fans, wasn't a huge hit when it was published, but it remains a solid book with a lot to recommend it.

The Diamond Age posits a world where people have sorted themselves into tribal city-states called Phyles, which are based on ethnicity, social class, and personal preference.  The three biggest Phyles are Han Chinese, Japanese, and Victorian, although there are countless smaller Phyles.  The book takes place largely in the Victorian Phyle, where nanotechnology and artificial intelligence cozy up side by side with things that adjust via large brass gears, and ruffles are an acceptable clothing decoration for both men and women.

A little girl named Nell is the protagonist of the novel, which follows her progress through the world in a manner some find a little too ramble-y.  Nell is a Dickensian street urchin, who only wishes that she was an orphan.  At the beginning, Nell is living with her mother Tequila, her protective older brother Harv, and a series of Tequila's increasingly more unpleasant boyfriends.

Nell's life is changed when a copy of an interactive book titled The Young Lady's Illustrated Primer falls into her hands.  Originally designed to serve as an all-in-one learning center and etiquette course for an upper-class Victorian child, the Primer has a bombshell effect on Nell's life, and life trajectory.

One fascinating aspect of The Diamond Age is that the Primer is given voice and direction by Miranda, an actress who is hired to bring the network of Primers to life.  In a sense, the Primer is just a puppet, and Miranda is the puppeteer.  This was an interesting choice on Stephenson's part, because he could easily have made the Primer simply an item of artificial intelligence.  In fact, Miranda's role complicates the plot considerably.  

Personally, I found this aspect of the book to be its least compelling.  Stephenson works hard to make a fairly straightforward point - that artificial intelligence will never replace, or even mimic, human intelligence.  In a sense, the entire book is his thesis on the topic; an effort which I would call "misguided."

The real meat of the story is Nell, and her demonstration of the dangerous (to some) things that can happen if you provide proper education to children from all walks of life.  Even those who are considered thoroughly disposable, and that's all I can say about that without ruining the story.  Well worth the read!