Add Prime to get Fast, Free delivery
Amazon prime logo
Buy new:
-43% $10.79
FREE delivery Thursday, January 9 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$10.79 with 43 percent savings
List Price: $18.99
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Thursday, January 9 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Monday, January 6. Order within 18 hrs 40 mins.
In Stock
$$10.79 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$10.79
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$9.60
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
This item shows wear including moderate wear to edges and cover. This item shows wear including moderate wear to edges and cover. See less
FREE delivery January 16 - 22 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery January 15 - 19
$$10.79 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$10.79
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Snow Crash: A Novel Paperback – May 2, 2000

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 19,045 ratings

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$10.79","priceAmount":10.79,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"10","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"79","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"CaAxBHapEQHHQ%2FJVCnUmZ4sPzGvrjcsKAWnpIKf7jsu%2B1fHRZjTbVIkqx%2BZLrYNoOsdDtdJZ6LXkKMQYhpUxS4FD6doHBLwTJTWpfHTovYHd1oHxyjuqem9Y6jwc1hv%2B32MeWkwh%2FKw%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$9.60","priceAmount":9.60,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"9","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"60","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"CaAxBHapEQHHQ%2FJVCnUmZ4sPzGvrjcsKlI5GxMsZUdfU8zlHNzwcXRzAyHtVfAVNObkRi4mr4BSCA2HU1o%2F7aYnd%2B7ICfNYZV67RJtG2KpPqNeltdxgzFY7Lg0zZI7DwgmUq0xBS9OdIxPcttyyF%2BHTgEkSlkEv9%2B0rtbRwy%2B8ewCBbdGSyBeZmmdtjjTJbY","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

The “brilliantly realized” (The New York Times Book Review) breakthrough novel from visionary author Neal Stephenson, a modern classic that predicted the metaverse and inspired generations of Silicon Valley innovators

Hiro lives in a Los Angeles where franchises line the freeway as far as the eye can see. The only relief from the sea of logos is within the autonomous city-states, where law-abiding citizens don’t dare leave their mansions.

Hiro delivers pizza to the mansions for a living, defending his pies from marauders when necessary with a matched set of samurai swords.
His home is a shared 20 X 30 U-Stor-It. He spends most of his time goggled in to the Metaverse, where his avatar is legendary.

But in the club known as The Black Sun, his fellow hackers are being felled by a weird new drug called Snow Crash that reduces them to nothing more than a jittering cloud of bad digital karma (and IRL, a vegetative state).

Investigating the Infocalypse leads Hiro all the way back to the beginning of language itself, with roots in an ancient Sumerian priesthood. He’ll be joined by Y.T., a fearless teenaged skateboard courier. Together, they must race to stop a shadowy virtual villain hell-bent on world domination.
The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

This item: Snow Crash: A Novel
$10.79
Get it as soon as Thursday, Jan 9
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
$10.63
Get it as soon as Thursday, Jan 9
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
$12.79
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jan 22
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
spCSRF_Treatment
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Choose items to buy together.
Popular Highlights in this book

From the Publisher

Praise for Snow Crash

NYTBR says, “Brilliantly realized . . . Stephenson turns out to be an engaging guide...”

Los Angeles Reader says, “[Stephenson] has vaulted onto the literary stage with this novel.”

Timothy Leary says, "Neal Stephenson is intelligent, perceptive, hip."

Snow Crash: Deluxe Edition The Diamond Age Interface The Cobweb
Snow Crash: Deluxe Edition The Diamond Age Interface The Cobweb
Customer Reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars
19,045
4.4 out of 5 stars
4,833
4.3 out of 5 stars
517
4.4 out of 5 stars
451
Price $22.99 $12.79 $14.13 $19.25
More from Neal Stephenson Now in a gorgeous new hardcover edition featuring never-before-seen material, the breakthrough novel from Neal Stephenson, a modern classic that predicted the metaverse and inspired generations of Silicon Valley innovators. Vividly imagined, stunningly prophetic, and epic in scope, The Diamond Age is a major novel from one of the most visionary writers of our time In this now-classic thriller, Neal Stephenson and fellow author J. Frederick George tell a shocking tale with an all-too plausible premise. In this now-classic political thriller, Neal Stephenson and fellow author J. Frederick George tell a savagely witty, chillingly topical tale set in the tense moments of the Gulf War.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“One of the most popular sci-fi books of all time . . . It stands as a foundational text of the cyberpunk movement.”Wired

“Stephenson’s cult classic has become canon in Silicon Valley, where a host of engineers, entrepreneurs, futurists, and assorted computer geeks . . . still revere
Snow Crash as a remarkably prescient vision of today’s tech landscape.”Vanity Fair

“Hip, surreal, distressingly funny . . . Neal Stephenson is a crafty plotter and a wry writer.”
The Des Moines Register

“[
Snow Crash] not only made the name of its author Neal Stephenson, it elevated him to the status of a technological Nostradamus.”Open Culture

“A cross between
Neuromancer and Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland . . . This is no mere hyperbole.”The San Francisco Bay Guardian

“Fast-forward free-style mall mythology for the twenty-first century.”
—William Gibson

About the Author

Neal Stephenson is the author of New York Times bestsellers including The Diamond Age, Zodiac, Cryptonomicon, Quicksilver, The Confusion, The System of the World, REAMDE, Anathem, Seveneves, Fall: or Dodge in Hell, and Termination Shock, as well as nonfiction works such as In The Beginning . . . Was the Command Line. He has worked for Blue Origin and Magic Leap, and more recently co-founded Lamina1, a startup creating an open metaverse platform.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Del Rey (May 2, 2000)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 440 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0553380958
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0553380958
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 970L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.24 x 8.24 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 19,045 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Neal Stephenson
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

NEAL STEPHENSON is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the novels Termination Shock, Fall; or, Dodge in Hell, The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. (with Nicole Galland), Seveneves, Reamde, Anathem, The System of the World, The Confusion, Quicksilver, The Diamond Age, Snow Crash, Zodiac, the groundbreaking nonfiction work In the Beginning . . . Was the Command Line, and Some Remarks, a collection of short fiction and nonfiction. He lives in Seattle, Washington.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
19,045 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers

Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and thought-provoking. They describe it as a cyberpunk novel with cool action scenes. Readers praise the creative and visionary world that the author has imagined. They appreciate the interesting main characters and the female protagonist. The writing style is described as neat, smart, and entertaining. Overall, customers find the book an enjoyable read with interesting and entertaining scenes.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

665 customers mention "Readability"616 positive49 negative

Customers find the book engaging and entertaining. They describe it as a fun, thought-provoking read that marks an important development in 3D interactivity. Readers praise it as one of their favorite books from one of their favorite authors.

"...It's interesting in that it challenges the reader to alter their view of history, but the analogies are not as well drawn as they could be...." Read more

"...and is not well regarded outside of Stephenson Fans but I think it is classic. I’ve read it multiple times...." Read more

"...Conclusion: good beach read, but not classic caliber." Read more

"...But I'll take that flaw for some of the most entertaining and though-provoking books I've ever read." Read more

209 customers mention "Sci-fi"200 positive9 negative

Customers enjoy the cyberpunk novel. They find it a serious futuristic sci-fi story with entertaining characters and cool action scenes. The book is described as a must-read for sci-fi fans, part thriller and meditation on interesting topics. Stephenson illuminates the world of hackers and creates an interesting duality in the action.

"...The ending, while action-packed and exciting, is where I felt some disappointment...." Read more

"...I won’t. It is well-written, fast-paced. Mainstream Cyberpunk, but not Cliché...." Read more

"...read, has some interesting and entertaining characters, and lots of cool action scenes, so if you can ignore the timeline issue and get past some of..." Read more

"Great classic cyberpunk scifi book. I just wanted to share a bit of edition clarification info that might help other people decide what to order...." Read more

206 customers mention "Thought provoking"188 positive18 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and inspiring. They appreciate the visionary and entertaining scenes. The book discusses technological and philosophical concepts, with wonderful world-building and pacing. It highlights important themes and new ideas about society.

"...Elements of economic theory, religion, virtual reality, Sumerian mythology and linguistics take this story out of the realm of anything you’ve ever..." Read more

"...Mainstream Cyberpunk, but not Cliché. The world-building is top notch and while Stephenson gets some things he was written wrong about..." Read more

"...fiction today, and it shows in the way he can research a topic, comprehend it deeply, and then render an entertaining explanation in the context of..." Read more

"...I can say the story telling is otherwise great. The world building. The plot concepts. The real-world comparisons and commentaries drawn...." Read more

180 customers mention "Creativity"143 positive37 negative

Customers find the book inventive and imaginative. They appreciate the good theme, neat writing style, and snarky details. The concept is original and audacious, with a well-done world setting that introduces it in an engaging way.

"...and a half stars, rounded up to five simply on the basis of its originality, scope and audacity." Read more

"...I felt that Snowcrash had a good theme, which to me was based on an extreme overextended analogy between Computer viruses, memes or mind viruses,..." Read more

"As original and foresightful as Gibson and easier to comprehend the science (fiction?)...." Read more

"...K. Dick is the guy down the hall who talks all the time and seems really nice, but you're kind of worried about him...." Read more

168 customers mention "Character development"122 positive46 negative

Customers enjoy the interesting main characters and their physical challenges. They find the book engaging and mention that it has a female hero.

"...suit-and-tie topics are woven into a story that features an eccentric cast of characters and an action-packed storyline...." Read more

"...She was by far the more interesting character, living a double life as a picture of independence and strength...." Read more

"...major and minor character arc, but the finale involves characters that are so secondary to the plot that you couldn't care less about them...." Read more

"...pulls off what others probably couldn't, and Hiro is indeed an excellent protagonist...." Read more

157 customers mention "Fun"157 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining and thought-provoking. They appreciate the interesting twists, action scenes, and humorous explanatory digressions woven into the narrative. The tone is kept lighthearted by the protagonist's humor.

"...but much of it comes across as biting satire and I found it enormously entertaining...." Read more

"...The ending, while action-packed and exciting, is where I felt some disappointment...." Read more

"...But I'll take that flaw for some of the most entertaining and though-provoking books I've ever read." Read more

"...It's a fun read, has some interesting and entertaining characters, and lots of cool action scenes, so if you can ignore the timeline issue and get..." Read more

280 customers mention "Plot quality"144 positive136 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the plot. Some find it action-packed with suspenseful situations and enjoy the beginning of the novel. Others feel the plot is impossible to anticipate, slow to build up, and underwhelming. The ending is also mentioned as disappointing.

"...a story that features an eccentric cast of characters and an action-packed storyline...." Read more

"...Ultimately, the book delivers a thin plot revolving around a conspiracy to take over the world using ancient coded language tied to early Theocracy..." Read more

"...Action scenes are well-written and engaging. The book starts off like Hollywood, with the reader dropped into a crazy action scene in which some..." Read more

"...This one leaves a few loose ends. Without spoiling things too much, I'll mention one example...." Read more

247 customers mention "Writing style"151 positive96 negative

Customers have different views on the writing style. Some find it dense and understandable, with a creative wordsmith approach. Others feel the sentence structure is unusual, the book is a chore to read, and the author fails to pull it all together. They mention there is too much description and the author tells rather than showing.

"...But on the whole, I found this novel much more enjoyable and understandable than William Gibson's earlier NEUROMANCER...." Read more

"...between Hiro and Raven for example, which comes out of nowhere, makes no sense, and is totally pointless. -..." Read more

"...I won’t. It is well-written, fast-paced. Mainstream Cyberpunk, but not Cliché...." Read more

"...ever giving us any explicit dates for the storyline, it's relatively easy to extrapolate once you put the clues together ... the main character is..." Read more

Just great
5 out of 5 stars
Just great
- Reads well- Easy to follow- Adventurous- Low amount of fillers
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2014
    Neal Stephenson writes science fiction that requires a certain level of attention and concentration to follow and stay on top of. You can’t lay a Stephenson novel down for a few days and hope to come back and take up where you left off. This is not pulp science fiction.

    In this audacious novel, Stephenson crafts a dystopian Earth near the end of the 20th century. Most civilization has broken down and even in the United States, society has devolved into semi-sovereign “franchulates” (franchise consulates) and “burbclaves” (suburban enclaves). A rampant form of pure capitalism reigns, with private ownership of roads and police protection. Existing alongside this “free for all” is a Metaverse, an on-line world governed largely by hackers. Now, dystopia coupled with virtual reality is nothing new, however Stephenson takes it up a notch, weaving Sumerian and Old Testament mythology throughout the story.

    Some may find elements of Stephenson’s world silly, and some of it is pretty far out there, but much of it comes across as biting satire and I found it enormously entertaining. The “heroes” of the story are Hiro Protagonist, a freelance stringer for Central Intelligence Corporation (a privatized successor to the Library of Congress), a computer software designer and the greatest sword fighter in the world (in the Metaverse) and Y.T., a souped up skateboard riding 15 year old courier.

    With the help of the Mafia (Cosa Nostra, Inc.) and assorted other supremely interesting characters, Hiro and Y.T. discover a new designer drug, Snow Crash, whose purpose is to inject a virus into the deepest level of the brain, acting much the same as a computer virus. Seeking to prevent spread of the virus, Hiro and Y.T. cross swords with Bob Rife, the richest man on the planet, who seeks to use Snow Crash to exert total control over the world's population. Elements of economic theory, religion, virtual reality, Sumerian mythology and linguistics take this story out of the realm of anything you’ve ever experienced. Four and a half stars, rounded up to five simply on the basis of its originality, scope and audacity.
    5 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2009
    0101 1100 1101 0001
    1111 0010 0101 1010

    What if looking at these seemingly innocent binary numbers could not only affect your computer, but your brain as well? After all, your brain is simply a biological computer itself.

    This is one of the main themes in Stephenson's SNOW CRASH, a becoming-more-recognizable future where people divide their time between Reality and the Metaverse.

    The other theme is more complex, but tries to draw parallels between Sumerian mythology and computer viruses. It's interesting in that it challenges the reader to alter their view of history, but the analogies are not as well drawn as they could be.

    Fortunately, these two suit-and-tie topics are woven into a story that features an eccentric cast of characters and an action-packed storyline. I couldn't use the phrase "colorful cast of characters" as some of them are literally black and white in the Metaverse!

    For example there's the main hero, Hiro Protagonist. I haven't come across a name that creative since Prince S., a character in Dostoyevsky's THE IDIOT.
    The sword-wielding, motorcycle-riding Hiro reminded me heavily of Cloud from the famous FINAL FANTASY 7.

    Then there's the skateboarding Y.T. (not Whitey!), a 15-year old, skateboarding female Kourier that reminded me of the rebellious John Conner of TERMINATOR 2.

    The locations are just as interesting, where people live in storage units or the neighborhoods of Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong, The Sacrifice Zone, Nova Sicilia, Narcolumbia, et al.

    It's not exactly Mister Roger's Neighborhood either as each place has their own rules and lots of security to keep out unwanted people.

    Just off the shore of the West Coast (where most of the story takes place) is a mass of ships called The Raft. Very similar to Mieville's ship-city of Armada in his book THE SCAR (written many years after this book). It is here where Hiro and gang meet up with several of the major antagonists as the novel draws to a close.

    With so many crazy ideas all into one book, it is understandable that the first hundred pages read like SNOW CRASH FOR DUMMIES, complete with laugh-out-loud humor, to make your transition into this world easier than Orientation Day at school or work.

    After those first hundredish pages, the story races along like a mechanical guard-dog on a straight highway.

    The mythology portions come up about halfway, but are presented by a Librarian. The best way to imagine the Librarian: What if GOOGLE could talk? or What if that stupid paperclip in MICROSOFT OFFICE actually did something useful for once?

    The ending, while action-packed and exciting, is where I felt some disappointment. The last line is good, but there is not much closure on what happens to the characters and the chapters that were previously ~15 pages are rapidly narrowed down to ~5 pages--a sign of an author who can't contain his excitement at almost finishing his book.

    But on the whole, I found this novel much more enjoyable and understandable than William Gibson's earlier NEUROMANCER.

    If Hiro were rating this book, he would give it 0100 out of 0101 Stars.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2023
    TL;DR Read if you program and like Science Fiction. Read if you like Cyber Punk. Read if you want to read a VR classic. Read if you are a Neal Stephenson fan.

    Yes, the book was written in 1992 and is not well regarded outside of Stephenson Fans but I think it is classic. I’ve read it multiple times. Reading it now in 2023 makes me want to go on several rants. I won’t.

    It is well-written, fast-paced. Mainstream Cyberpunk, but not Cliché.

    The world-building is top notch and while Stephenson gets some things he was written wrong about religion I understand how his research led him there. You see some of the beginnings of Stephenson’s blending of Science Fiction and historical fiction that he would do in Cryptonomicon, and what would later become his speculative fiction style.

    Insert rants about New Perspectives on Paul, Tongues, Catholic Mystics, Facebook now Meta, and National Debt here.
    12 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • RAFAEL
    5.0 out of 5 stars LLEGO A TIEMPO
    Reviewed in Mexico on June 10, 2024
    LLEGO A TIEMPO Y EN BUENAS CONDICIONES
  • Lucca Canizela De Camargo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Superb
    Reviewed in Brazil on May 22, 2022
    Espetacular novel!
  • Francesco
    5.0 out of 5 stars Modern classic
    Reviewed in Italy on November 18, 2024
    È un classico moderno. Il libro in cui viene definito per la prima volta il concetto di metaverso! Ma oltre quello i parallelismi tra la società postapocaliptica descritta nel libro e la nostra società sono ormai sempre più evidenti.
  • The Mighty Neiner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Extrem gute Qualität, unglaublich aktuell.
    Reviewed in Germany on January 24, 2024
    Die Deluxe Version ist der Hammer, hochqualitativst und sehr schön zum Ansehen. Aber nicht nur zum Ansehen taugt der Schinken, der dieses Buch ist, nein! Auch lesen kann man jenes, und man wird nicht enttäuscht werden. 5/5
  • Jacques De Wilde
    5.0 out of 5 stars Le classique pour comprendre le concept de métaverse
    Reviewed in France on July 8, 2022
    C’est à parieur de ce roman d’anticipation que les GAFA et autres acteurs du numérique envisagent l’avenir. Pour autant, cet opus réserve des surprises bien différentes et, avouons-le, plus humaines et prometteuses. À lire en anglais si possible.