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Book Review By Pete McKenna
The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson

In an alternate (possibly future) reality a software programmer creates an interactive (Virtual Reality) program for an aristocrat's daughter and secretly makes one for his own daughter. The secret copy falls into the hands of an abused little girl, who succeeds in coming of age via the program, and becomes the heroine, in a cultural war. The program molds the mind of the girl, and empower her, to such a degree that she is able to prevent genocide.


Plot & Themes
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Tech./$$$/Info hunt Yes
Stealing/recovering/destroying
Robots, Computers, VR Yes
Lifeform altered? Yes
Kind of alteration:
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 20 %
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20 %
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20 %

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status:

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some
How sensitive is this character?
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - an average amount of scientific explanation
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - orgies - weird alien sex
How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog
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