Snow Crash

Since we're putting Snow Crash to bed (for now), I better make a few comments just for (temporary) closure.

One of the things I really enjoy about this book, even upon repeated readings, are Stephenson's clever language and name games. Obviously, Hiro Protagonist is a totally brilliant and obnoxiously sarcastic character name--from the very beginning you know this is going to be good. Then there's Vitaly Chernobyl....

I'm sure hardly anyone finds this as amusing as I do, but I must comment on "dentata"; the device Y.T. wears down there to prevent sexual assault (or at least punish it severely). When I took a mythology class in college, we were reading an anthology of myths about females, and one has always stuck out for me (it's of African origin if memory serves): the vagina dentata. This is the belief that the female body part in question possesses teeth which will bite off any corresponding male body part should a sex act occur. Since women obviously don't come equipped with these naturally, it sure would be a useful invention!

I'll leave it on that note for now, but stay tuned for more Snow Crash commentary from time to time!