Quicksilver (novel)

Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson is the first volume of his series The Baroque Cycle. The second and third volumes (released in the second and third quarters of 2004 respectively), are entitled The Confusion and The System of the World.

Related Topics:
Neal Stephenson - The Baroque Cycle - The Confusion - The System of the World

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Quicksilver is set in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, mostly in England, France, and the United Provinces, with sections that take place further east and in Massachusetts. The scenes from the 18th century are narrated in the third person present tense, while the scenes from the 17th century are third person past tense.

Related Topics:
17th - 18th centuries - England - France - United Provinces - Massachusetts

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It deals with the science, economy, and politics of that era. Ancestors of the characters of Stephenson's novel Cryptonomicon appear prominently; analogously, the 20th century Cryptonomicon handbook from that novel is foreshadowed by a 17th century version in Quicksilver. As in other Stephenson works, there is a theme of how money works. The novel covers such historical events as the Great Plague, the Great Fire of London, the Edict of Fontainebleau, the Monmouth Rebellion, the Bloody Assizes, the Battle of Vienna and the Glorious Revolution, though many details, such as each member of what he calls the CABAL, have been changed.

Related Topics:
Cryptonomicon - 20th century - Money - Great Plague - Great Fire of London - Edict of Fontainebleau - Monmouth Rebellion - Bloody Assizes - Battle of Vienna - Glorious Revolution - CABAL

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~