Neal Stephenson Is Tired of Dystopias at Disrupt SF

Neal Stephenson, author of Seveneves, sits down with John Biggs to discuss how AR/VR will integrate with our lives, the predictive power of science fiction, and changes to the publishing industry.

[@jamesp4521]

What a dead bland audience! When he said we all read Snow Crash right? I couldn't of contained a shout out if I was there! Snow Crash is one of my favourite books of all time!

[@rikrob5172]

Same. I keep trying to get someone else into it. Just give 2 pages a go people. If you can handle and enjoy that, you'll dig the rest.

[@yesmissjane]

Wow. Neal Stephenson as dinner theatre. Talk about a dystopic future.

[@aggressivecalm]

12:48 "Social impact, that's not so great..." Intentional understatement of the century, Neal Stephenson throws philanthropic shade. Big fan Neal

[@lance9749]

Don't worry Neal you have fans! If I were there I would have been yelling and screaming at the top of my lungs. Someday I hope to meet you. Anyhow, sorry the event was not that great but again you have huge fans. PS Can't wait 2017 they start filming Snow Crash!!! Then hopefully Diamond Age. You rock dude.

[@GCNavigator]

Lance Stone Diamond Age will never make it on screen if Hollywood has anything to say about it. The heart of the story is way too real and scary to the power elite.

[@sdrw7389]

Stephenson is a genius

[@CivilianAdams]

Thank you for talking to us Stephen.

[@oghomelesskid]

Lol that intro is the best.

[@jasonrobertsASTONISHES]

Jordan is the greatest !!

[@adamsnow4884]

So awkward at the beginning...

[@adammccurdy7481]

A futurist visionary, speaking in front of a bunch of zombies on their computers/phones.

[@bigfan1041]

Yeah it´s definitely either/or.

[@lightspeedius]

I'm 4/5ths of the way through Anathem. It's so freaking good. Well paced for such deep content too.

[@forevershampoo]

I agree it would be advantageous to see how we could avoid a dystopia

[@monaanalisa2082]

"Pleasant for the vast majority and gonna really suck for some folks"

[@jean-christophefrancois2087]

I think we like dystopias because they present futures that would be easier to avoid than what we are facing. Or exaggerate the future we will have to face to the point it’s easier to dismiss as being strictly fiction.

[@chadchadwick6356]

We are discounting the wisdom of our times.

[@GCNavigator]

Stephenson is a genius author and I appreciate the opportunity to listen to him. I wonder though, does he really think first person shooters are the most popular video games? And I wonder how any futurist can be ignorant of the Maunder Minimum? I also wonder if he really thinks nationalism is inferior to globalism?

[@theshaolin2391]

Tough crowd lol

[@chadchadwick6356]

The whole world that really matters is happening here and now.

[@aarondavid826]

He had me at "the moon blows up"

[@noraajagger4239]

18:45 look at his hands and match it with the people he is talking about

[@markb.265]

One thing: after the moon broke up in Seveneves, the first entered Earth's orbit as meteoroids. Once the pieces entered a planetary atmosphere, they are regarded as meteors, not meteorites. Only after colliding with the surface of a planet does the detritus of a meteor become a meteorite.

[@Langkowski]

But why are dystopian novels popular? I can think of a couple of reasons.

[@BrianLancaster]

Because violence is entertaining

[@Jason-fv4rg]

Baselines, compulsively staring at their jeejaws. What a waste of Neal's time.

[@SonofSethoitae]

Hopefully Neal gave them a little upsight

[@mehdibabaie3464]

F*****g slines man

[@lisazoria2709]

Who tf uses kickstarter to write a book? Does the interviewer even know what books are?

[@TheKh65]

Why are they so awkward?

[@kahn289]

What the hell is wrong with this audience? Why even go?

[@pumpuppthevolume]

Simpsons predicted Trump :P

[@therasound]

WORST INTERVIEWER EVER and this venue was fucking terrifying....

[@gargleblasta]

17:15 so, you have this great scifi writer... but the interviewer just had to do a bit of whining about Trump. Sad.

[@jaredfrost3548]

Shameful audience.

[@qwertyqart]

you can tell one thing for sure, Stephenson isn't going to be on Trump's reading list. probably no one will be on Trump's reading list, Trump only reads Trump.

[@BrianLancaster]

lol can't tell if Joestar is being ironic

[@edbachelder3374]

Trump reads Fox news with his ears, period

[@jaredfrost3548]

I think Green Brain Seaside is joking. Trump doesn't read.

[@eymerichinquisitore9022]

I'm just sorry that he believes the lie of climate change