[fiddly_bits]

My suspicion is that the rat-thing was inserted after-the-fact to facilitate the book's ending. It's been a while since I read it, and I remember enjoying it, but the rat-thing always seemed like a cheat to me.

Also, snow crash? LCDs don't do that.

[mnutt]

I'm not sure the book ever mentioned LCDs specifically? It was written in 1992 before LCDs became prevalent; perhaps he imagined some other (analog) technology being used instead.

[sp332]

It was very sad when I realized Gibson's great line "The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel." had been completely lost on me because I assumed he meant bright blue instead of gray.

[fiddly_bits]

That's my point. The title dates the story. It's supposed to take place in the near future, but for the title to make sense it will have to take place in the recent past.

[jlgreco]

If that is a hangup for you, then the entire genre of near future fiction is probably out for you.