Neal Stephenson’s Reamde is a thrilling, ever-twisting techno-thriller that starts slowly and builds to an exciting crescendo of suspense, intrigue and action. The story follows the lives of a group of unlikely protagonists, as they become enmeshed in a high-stakes, cross-continental game of cat and mouse.
The novel begins with protagonist Richard Forthrast attending a family reunion in Idaho. Richard is outwardly a mild-mannered outdoorsman, but unbeknownst to even his closest family and friends, he has amassed a fortune from his company T'Rain – a global, multi-player on-line fantasy game. When one of T'Rain’s avatars, Zula, unknowingly acquires a computer virus called Reamde and becomes a target, she creates a ripple effect of danger and high stakes thrills that touches every corner of the globe.
Richard is plunged into the struggle to protect Zula and track down the shady figure at the heart of the story, Isaac. To do this, he must endeavor to navigate a hidden criminal underworld from heart of the US midwest to remote areas of the Canadian wilderness to rural China and the Russian mafia.
Throughout the novel, Stephenson cleverly interweaves his characters’ stories, with each group of protagonists revealing either some connection to one another, or a hint of insight into the ultimate goal of their nightmare journey. Amongst these are Zula and her hacker ex-boyfriend Nguyen, who must team up to protect a powerful secret; Maria and Peter, who fight to reclaim their seemingly ill-gotten fortune; Russian mobster Ivanov and his English sidekick, Ollie, who add a swagger of their own to the race against time, and even Richard’s initially unassuming brother and sister-in-law, whom Stephenson reveals possess their own inner strength and courage.
The intricate plot races to its conclusion, with Stephenson providing an explosive and gripping finale that ultimately ties everything together with a smart and satisfying bow. All the character’s disparate choices and misadventures ultimately crash together to form an unforgettable climax.
In the end, Stephenson’s Reamde is a captivating story that expertly mixes science, technology, espionage and intrigue in a way that keeps readers on the edge of their seat until the very last page. It is a subversive, fast-paced exploration of global culture, where the most unsuspecting of individuals are placed in extraordinary circumstances and must rely on one another, and their own strength of will, to battle against the odds. In this frenetic, energetic tale buffeting readers through the worlds of organized crime, online gaming, espionage, and cyber-security, Stephenson has crafted a modern classic.
