'Fall or, Dodge in Hell' by Neal Stephenson is a complex and ambitious novel that explores the concept of digital afterlife and reincarnation. The book follows the character Dodge, a MMO game creator, who becomes the first denizen of a digital afterlife created by El, a wealthy funder. As the story progresses, it delves into a power struggle between Dodge and El in a swords and sorcery type fantasy environment. The narrative intertwines elements of science fiction and fantasy, with a focus on the characters navigating the afterlife world and a quest to overthrow the usurper El.

Characters:

Characters span from Dodge and his loved ones navigating the real world to new figures created in the virtual realm, reflecting various themes of existence and identity.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is characterized by rich detail and extensive world-building, blending science fiction with mythological elements, though it can feel disjointed at times.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around Richard Dodge's death and the subsequent upload of his consciousness into a virtual world, contrasting it with the challenges faced in the real world. It delves into themes of mythology, society, and digital existence.

Setting:

The settings range from a near-future Seattle to the mythical landscapes of Bitworld and a dystopian America, enriching the narrative with diverse environments.

Pacing:

The pacing varies significantly, starting strong but often losing momentum, especially in the latter sections where the narrative becomes dilated.

Dodge became conscious. His phone was burbling on the bedside table. Without opening his eyes he found it with his hand, jerked it free of its charging cord, and drew it into bed with him. He tapped i...

Notes:

Fall or Dodge in Hell is a sequel to Neal Stephenson's 2011 novel Reamde.

The story begins with the death of Richard Dodge Forthrast, a co-protagonist from Reamde.

Dodge creates a MMORPG and mandates that his brain be uploaded to the cloud.

The narrative alternates between 'Meatspace', the real world, and 'Bitworld', the virtual world.

Bitworld is a mythological realm where Dodge recreates himself as his game avatar, Egdod.

Themes include life, death, religion, and the nature of reality.

The novel explores the societal implications of a digital afterlife, presenting a cautionary tale about technology and misinformation.

Ameristan, a fictional region in the novel, reflects current societal divides and conspiracy theories.

It includes references to Greek and Abrahamic mythology.

Some readers found the pacing slow, especially in the fantasy sections of Bitworld, which consumed much of the book's latter half.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Triggers include themes related to death, societal collapse, misinformation, and dystopian elements that may be distressing for some readers.

From The Publisher:

New York Times Bestseller

A New York Times Notable Book

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Seveneves, Anathem, Reamde, and Cryptonomicon returns with a wildly inventive and entertaining science fiction thriller-Paradise Lost by way of Philip K. Dick-that unfolds in the near future, in parallel worlds.

In his youth, Richard "Dodge" Forthrast founded Corporation 9592, a gaming company that made him a multibillionaire. Now in his middle years, Dodge appreciates his comfortable, unencumbered life, managing his myriad business interests, and spending time with his beloved niece Zula and her young daughter, Sophia.

One beautiful autumn day, while he undergoes a routine medical procedure, something goes irrevocably wrong. Dodge is pronounced brain dead and put on life support, leaving his stunned family and close friends with difficult decisions. Long ago, when a much younger Dodge drew up his will, he directed that his body be given to a cryonics company now owned by enigmatic tech entrepreneur Elmo Shepherd. Legally bound to follow the directive despite their misgivings, Dodge's family has his brain scanned and its data structures uploaded and stored in the cloud, until it can eventually be revived.

In the coming years, technology allows Dodge's brain to be turned back on. It is an achievement that is nothing less than the disruption of death itself. An eternal afterlife-the Bitworld-is created, in which humans continue to exist as digital souls.

But this brave new immortal world is not the Utopia it might first seem . . .

Fall, or Dodge in Hell is pure, unadulterated fun: a grand drama of analog and digital, man and machine, angels and demons, gods and followers, the finite and the eternal. In this exhilarating epic, Neal Stephenson raises profound existential questions and touches on the revolutionary breakthroughs that are transforming our future. Combining the technological, philosophical, and spiritual in one grand myth, he delivers a mind-blowing speculative literary saga for the modern age.

Ratings (10)

Loved It (4)
Liked It (1)
It Was OK (2)
Did Not Like (3)

Reader Stats (25):

Read It (9)
Want To Read (15)
Not Interested (1)

1 comment(s)

ehanut203

It Was OK

4 months

I can't really believe I'm giving a Neal Stephenson book 3 stars. He is such a huge important writer in my life. I love how complicated, globe-trotting, historical, and magical his books are.

But this one....Urrrghhh. I just didn't get the point. Richard Dodge, the tech-genius billionaire we met in the excellent

REAMDE, has died. According to his wishes, his mind is uploaded to an electronic world that lives entirely on servers. As the only resident, he assumes he is and becomes God. Over time the world becomes more developed, other people are introduced to the environment, and an entire new religion/Mount Olympus is created.

While this is all happening, Dodge's friends and family on earth are in a power struggle with the corporation that owns the servers were Dodge and others "live."

But why.....are we doing this? I never felt like there was anything really on the line. Why should Dodge get to be a God? Why should anyone? What is even the point of exploring this artificial afterlife? I just didn't see any THERE there. And there is usually so much to his novels.

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Fall or, Dodge in Hell

Neal Stephenson

Book 2 in the series:Dodge