A sprawling novel that is more a combination of historical fiction and contemporary techno-thriller than the science fiction of Stephenson's earlier works. It follows the parallel saga of
cryptographers from
World War II and their descendants attempting to use modern cryptography to build a [data haven]
? in a fiction East Asian island state, and the political machinations that follow both efforts. Cryptonomicon was notably heavy going for non-technical readers in parts, spending pages explaining in detail some of the concepts behind cryptography and even including the details a real, near-unbreakable cypher
algorithm as part of the plot. Despite this, the book drew praise from both Stephenson's science fiction fan base and literary critics and buyers.
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