Quicksilver

Neal Stephenson is the bestselling author of Reamde, Anathem; the three-volume historical epic the Baroque Cycle (Quicksilver, The Confusion, and The System of the World); Cryptonomicon; The Diamond Age; Snow Crash, which was named one of Time magazine's top one hundred all-time best English-language novels; and Zodiac. He lives in Seattle, Washington.

In which Daniel Waterhouse, fearless thinker and courageous Puritan, pursues knowledge in the company of the greatest minds of Baroque-era Europe -- in a chaotic world where reason wars with the bloody ambitions of the mighty, and where catastrophe, natural or otherwise, can alter the political landscape overnight.

“Genius . . . You’ll wish it were longer.” — Time magazine
“[QUICKSILVER] explores the philosophical concerns of today . . . through thrillingly clever, suspenseful and amusing plot twists.” — New York Times Book Review
“Sprawling, irreverent, and ultimately profound.” — Newsweek
“A sprawling, engrossing tale.” — Seattle Times
“Stephenson’s new machine is a wonderment to behold. A-” — Entertainment Weekly
“An astonishing achievement.” — Sunday Telegraph
“[QUICKSILVER] is a rare thing: a 1,000-page book that you don’t want to end. — San Antonio Express-News
“[O]ften brilliant and occassionally astonishing ...[QUICKSILVER] has wit, ambition and ... moments of real genius.” — Book World
“[A]n awe-inspiring book, stuffed with heart-stopping action scenes ... and a treasure trove of forgotten historical lore.” — Book
“Dense, witty, erudite ... and gripping ... a far more impressive literary endeavor than most so-called “serious” fiction.” — Independent