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Cover of Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

Quicksilver

Book 1 of The Baroque Cycle

  • 936 pages · about 16 hours
  • First published 2003
  • 18 editions

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1 About this book

Quicksilver is a historical novel by Neal Stephenson, published in 2003. It is the first volume of The Baroque Cycle, his late Baroque historical fiction series, succeeded by The Confusion and The System of the World (both published in 2004). Quicksilver won the Arthur C. Clarke Award and was nominated for the Locus Award in 2004. Stephenson organized the structure of Quicksilver such that chapters have been incorporated into three internal books titled "Quicksilver", "The King of the Vagabonds", and "Odalisque". In 2006, each internal book was released in separate paperback editions, to make the 900 pages more approachable for readers. These internal books were originally independent novels within the greater cycle during composition.

The novel Quicksilver is written in various narrative styles, such as theatrical staging and epistolary, and follows a large group of characters.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Good for readers who want: adventure, historical fiction, and a long read.

  • Adventure
  • Historical fiction
  • Scientists
  • Alchemists
  • Puritans
  • Technological

2 About Neal Stephenson

Born 1959

Neal Town Stephenson (born October 31, 1959) is an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction. His novels have been categorized as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, and baroque. His Snow Crash (1992) was included on Time's list of the 100 best novels since 1923.

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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