Cryptonomicon

Cryptonomicon is a sprawling novel by Neal Stephenson that is more a combination of historical fiction and contemporary techno-thriller than the science fiction of Stephenson's earlier works. It follows two parallel sagas: that of cryptographers during World War II attempting to crack Axis codes (see U-413, U-553, U-691, Enigma machine, Alan Turing, Bletchley Park), and that of their descendants attempting to use modern cryptography to build a data haven in the fictitious state of Kinakuta, a small nation similiar in social order and geographic location to Brunei. It also details the political machinations that follow both efforts. Cryptonomicon's backstory ties in heavily with the events and people featured in Stephenson's later work, The Baroque Cycle.

Intentional typos?

The original hardcover edition of Cryptonomicon had numerous typos, and there has been widespread speculation that these typos were deliberate and constitute a steganographically hidden code http://www.metaweb.com/wiki/wiki.phtml?title=Stephenson:Neal:Cryptonomicon:Typos http://www.greenmanreview.com/book/book_stephenson_cryptonomicon.html http://books.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/09/20/177245&tid=214&tid=6. Hidden codes are not uncommon in modern novels on cryptography; for example, Dan Brown's Digital Fortress is confirmed to have a hidden code.

Related Topics:
Steganograph - Dan Brown - Digital Fortress

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