[mayoff]

This idea is a significant part of Anathem by Neal Stephenson.

[PopAlongKid]

Also featured in the 1985 novel Footfall by Niven and Pournelle.

[variaga]

"God was knocking, and he wanted in bad"

[Chu4eeno]

Anathem was so chock full of interesting ideas, too bad the last parts of it were so rushed (or at least felt that way to me).

[jaggederest]

I always describe it as an excellent 300 page novel crammed into 900 pages.

[ahartmetz]

Same with Cryptonomicon. Guy doesn't know when to stop rambling. Oh, and it had a weak ending, too.

[ezekg]

This is the clearest explanation of why I never really liked Stephenson.

[lern_too_spel]

That's most of Stephenson's books. 90% world building and then 10% story at the end.

[p1necone]

This worked for Snow Crash - felt like I went on a theme park ride, got to the end of it, and hopped off still buzzing. Doesn't work so well for something less tongue in cheek.

[cfiggers]

Strong agree. I was especially disappointed because it felt like he was dropping breadcrumbs all through the book and then... Nah, none of that foreshadowing mattered. The central tension of the book is handled by an off-screen deus ex machina, actually, everybody go home.

Incredible ideas. Really, really lousy ending.