An environmental thriller set in Boston, 'Zodiac' centers around the first-person exploits of Sangamon Taylor (ST) who tracks down toxic chemicals and other nasty sewage being dumped into the Charles River and/or the ocean, then publicly embarrasses the corporation responsible in a number of original ways. When he runs across a weird PCB-like contamination causing even weirder mutations in the local aquatic life forms, he finds that he is in deeper over his head (as it were) as he faces down a whacked-out genetic engineer.

Released on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 at Mailed it in Seattle, Washington USA.

Mailed to fellow BCer Novasoy in Kentucky

Received today in the mail from heysquid. Thanks a lot! I can't wait to read it. I will release it when I am finished, unless you want it back.

I read Cryptonomicon, Snow Crash, and Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson before I read this, and this book is the worst of the four. It read like the second book by an author struggling to find his voice, which I suppose it was. On his website, he says as much. During the action sequences, his writing becomes choppy and staccato but not in a good way. I don't know. He does some amateurish that I cannot quite put my finger on right now. I saw the seeds of the later style that I loved -- sarcastic, funny, smarter than you'll ever be -- but, like I said, it's not perfected in this novel yet.

The book itself is the story of Sangamon Taylor, a arch-environmental activist who fights pollution in Boston Harbor. As a story, it hangs together well. The plot moves along nicely, the pace never slackens, and the conclusion is satisfying. But the style -- I can't get around it -- is not quite right.

I would recommend this book to any committed Stepheonson fan so that they can say they've read everything he's written. Otherwise, I would dissuade casual fans from reading this and encourage them to read Snow Crash and his later books.

Released on Friday, June 25, 2004 at 4th Street Live in Louisville, Kentucky USA.

I left it under the giant Hard Rock Cafe guitar atop a street/sidewalk lamp.