Zodiac (novel)
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| U.S. version cover shot. | |
| Author | Neal Stephenson |
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| Cover Artist | Bruce Jensen |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Atlantic Monthly Press |
| Released | May 1988 |
| Media Type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 283 pp (first edition, paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-87113-181-1 (first edition, paperback) |
| Preceded by | The Big U |
| Followed by | Snow Crash |
Zodiac: The Eco-Thriller (1988) is Neal Stephenson's second novel, which tells the story of an environmentalist, Sangamon Taylor, uncovering a conspiracy involving industrialist polluters and Satanists in the Boston Harbor. The "Zodiac" of the title refers to the brand of inflatable motor boats the hero uses to get around the city efficiently. His opponents attempt to frame him as an ecoterrorist.
The protagonist is modeled on eco-activist Marco Kaltofen, who engaged in direct actions such as plugging illegal outflow pipes, just as described in the book. Taylor is a recreational user of nitrous oxide, justifying his choice of drug by Sangamon's Principle.
This book sees the first instance of Stephenson adding thin connections between his books: though he is not mentioned by name, Hiro Protagonist, the main character from Stephenson's later novel Snow Crash, is alluded to as the boyfriend of one of the background characters — specifically, "the boyfriend who keeps the samurai swords in the trunk of his car." Hiro does, in fact, keep samurai swords in the trunk of his car (see Snow Crash and The Diamond Age.)
[edit] Release details
- 1988, USA, Atlantic Monthly Press (ISBN 0-87113-181-1), Pub date ? May 1988, paperback (First edition)
- 1988, UK, Bloomsbury (ISBN 0-7475-0262-5), Pub date ? October 1988, paperback
- 1997, USA, Signet Books (ISBN 0-451-45588-6), Pub date 29 May 1997, paperback
- 1997, USA, Spectra Books (ISBN 0-553-57386-1), Pub date ? June 1997, paperback
- 1997, UK, Penguin Books (ISBN 0-14-027038-8), Pub date 7 August 1997, paperback
- 2001, UK, Arrow Books (ISBN 0-09-941552-6), Pub date 24 May 2001, paperback
- 2002, USA, Denoël (ISBN 2-207-25264-7), Pub date 4 September 2002, paperback
| Works by Neal Stephenson | |
|---|---|
| Full-Length Novels | The Big U (1984) | Zodiac (1988) | Snow Crash (1992) | Interface (1994) | The Diamond Age (1995) | The Cobweb (1996) | Cryptonomicon (1999) | The Baroque Cycle: Quicksilver (2003), The Confusion (2004), and The System of the World (2004) |
| Short Stories | "Spew" (1994) | "The Great Simoleon Caper" (1995) | "Jipi and the paranoid chip" (1997) |
| Non-Fiction | Smiley's people (1993) | In the Kingdom of Mao Bell (1994) | Mother Earth Mother Board (1996) | Global Neighborhood Watch (1998) | In the Beginning...was the Command Line (1999) |
