[gchucky]

Neal Stephenson's "Anathem". Seriously one of the best novels I've ever read. He's an excellent writer, and after about the first fifty pages I couldn't put it down.

[thisrod]

Anathem gets my vote.

It's a mystery, with things left for the reader to figure out. These things include where and when it's set, and what genre it's written in. A brilliantly apt form for a novel about science, which makes it hard to describe without spoiling it.

The author has his usual fun. Historical inspriation: monasteries in the dark ages. Martial artists: far too cool for their own good. Tensor calculations performed as interpretive dance: it had to be done. The plight of hackers and scientists in a violent, greedy world strikes as true as ever.

Stephenson's neologisms are a bonus. The principle "'X would be nice' does not imply X" needs a name, though I don't expect "Diax's rake" to stick. Also useful is "Lorite", for a scholar who specialises in refuting claims of novelty.

[arethuza]

Anathem was one of the rare novels that when I read enough to get into it I was utterly delighted that there was so much of the book still to read.

I've even bought some of the music tracks by David Stutz:

http://synthesist.net/music/anathem/

Profits from this go to the Long Now Foundation - which is very appropriate given then themes in the book.

[blacksmythe]

Also his "Cryptonomicon", a phenomenal novel.

[sgricci]

Snow crash was great as well.

Also the "Daemon" series by Daniel Suarez is great along the same lines as snow crash.

[rdl]

And, Diamond Age, which I actually prefer to all Stephenson's other novels. Suarez rocks too.

[suraj]

This book got me started on "The Baroque Cycle". Now I am doomed to think of Newton as a wizard alchemist.

[EricDZ]

I was enthralled with Anathem and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I tried to read Cryptonomicum after Anathem but could not get into it.