Get Your Free Audiobook
-
The Diamond Age
- Narrated by: Jennifer Wiltsie
- Length: 18 hrs and 32 mins
- Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction
Non-member price: $48.75
People who bought this also bought...
-
Snow Crash
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Neal Stephenson is a blazing new force on the sci-fi scene. With the groundbreaking cyberpunk novel Snow Crash, he has "vaulted onto the literary stage." It weaves virtual reality, Sumerian myth, and just about everything in between with a cool, hip cybersensibility - in short, it is the gigathriller of the information age.
-
-
Dated
- By Norman J Walsh on 08-04-2018
-
Cryptonomicon
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 42 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1942, Lawrence Pritchard Waterhouse - mathematical genius and young Captain in the US Navy - is assigned to detachment 2702. It is an outfit so secret that only a handful of people know it exists, and some of those people have names like Churchill and Roosevelt. The mission of Watrehouse and Detachment 2702 - commanded by Marine Raider Bobby Shaftoe - is to keep the Nazis ignorant of the fact that Allied Intelligence has cracked the enemy's fabled Enigma code. In the present, Waterhouse's crypto-hacker grandson, Randy, is attempting to create a "data haven" in Southeast Asia....
-
-
360 degree story
- By Ellen Johnston on 28-09-2016
-
Quicksilver
- Book One of The Baroque Cycle
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: Neal Stephenson (introduction), Kevin Pariseau, Simon Prebble
- Length: 14 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In which Daniel Waterhouse, fearless thinker and courageous Puritan, pursues knowledge in the company of the greatest minds of Baroque-era Europe -- in a chaotic world where reason wars with the bloody ambitions of the mighty, and where catastrophe, natural or otherwise, can alter the political landscape overnight.
-
-
No flow
- By Louis on 16-03-2020
-
Reamde
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 38 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Anathem, Neal Stephenson is continually rocking the literary world with his brazen and brilliant fictional creations - whether he’s reimagining the past (The Baroque Cycle), inventing the future (Snow Crash), or both (Cryptonomicon).
-
-
Characters Galore
- By Jules on 28-01-2017
-
Fall; or, Dodge in Hell
- A Novel
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 31 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his youth, Richard “Dodge” Forthrast founded Corporation 9592, a gaming company that made him a multibillionaire. Now in his middle years, Dodge appreciates his comfortable, unencumbered life, managing his myriad business interests, and spending time with his beloved niece Zula and her young daughter, Sophia. One beautiful autumn day, while he undergoes a routine medical procedure, something goes irrevocably wrong.
-
-
Don't Bother
- By Bronwen on 22-11-2019
-
Seveneves
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: Peter Brooke
- Length: 32 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The astounding new novel from the master of science fiction. What would happen if the world were ending? When a catastrophic event renders the Earth a ticking time bomb, it triggers a feverish race against the inevitable. An ambitious plan is devised to ensure the survival of humanity far beyond our atmosphere. But unforeseen dangers threaten the intrepid pioneers, until only a handful of survivors remain....
-
-
Good book, terrible performance
- By K. Gough on 13-10-2015
-
Snow Crash
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Neal Stephenson is a blazing new force on the sci-fi scene. With the groundbreaking cyberpunk novel Snow Crash, he has "vaulted onto the literary stage." It weaves virtual reality, Sumerian myth, and just about everything in between with a cool, hip cybersensibility - in short, it is the gigathriller of the information age.
-
-
Dated
- By Norman J Walsh on 08-04-2018
-
Cryptonomicon
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 42 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1942, Lawrence Pritchard Waterhouse - mathematical genius and young Captain in the US Navy - is assigned to detachment 2702. It is an outfit so secret that only a handful of people know it exists, and some of those people have names like Churchill and Roosevelt. The mission of Watrehouse and Detachment 2702 - commanded by Marine Raider Bobby Shaftoe - is to keep the Nazis ignorant of the fact that Allied Intelligence has cracked the enemy's fabled Enigma code. In the present, Waterhouse's crypto-hacker grandson, Randy, is attempting to create a "data haven" in Southeast Asia....
-
-
360 degree story
- By Ellen Johnston on 28-09-2016
-
Quicksilver
- Book One of The Baroque Cycle
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: Neal Stephenson (introduction), Kevin Pariseau, Simon Prebble
- Length: 14 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In which Daniel Waterhouse, fearless thinker and courageous Puritan, pursues knowledge in the company of the greatest minds of Baroque-era Europe -- in a chaotic world where reason wars with the bloody ambitions of the mighty, and where catastrophe, natural or otherwise, can alter the political landscape overnight.
-
-
No flow
- By Louis on 16-03-2020
-
Reamde
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 38 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Anathem, Neal Stephenson is continually rocking the literary world with his brazen and brilliant fictional creations - whether he’s reimagining the past (The Baroque Cycle), inventing the future (Snow Crash), or both (Cryptonomicon).
-
-
Characters Galore
- By Jules on 28-01-2017
-
Fall; or, Dodge in Hell
- A Novel
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 31 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his youth, Richard “Dodge” Forthrast founded Corporation 9592, a gaming company that made him a multibillionaire. Now in his middle years, Dodge appreciates his comfortable, unencumbered life, managing his myriad business interests, and spending time with his beloved niece Zula and her young daughter, Sophia. One beautiful autumn day, while he undergoes a routine medical procedure, something goes irrevocably wrong.
-
-
Don't Bother
- By Bronwen on 22-11-2019
-
Seveneves
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: Peter Brooke
- Length: 32 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The astounding new novel from the master of science fiction. What would happen if the world were ending? When a catastrophic event renders the Earth a ticking time bomb, it triggers a feverish race against the inevitable. An ambitious plan is devised to ensure the survival of humanity far beyond our atmosphere. But unforeseen dangers threaten the intrepid pioneers, until only a handful of survivors remain....
-
-
Good book, terrible performance
- By K. Gough on 13-10-2015
-
The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.
- By: Neal Stephenson, Nicole Galland
- Narrated by: Laurence Bouvard, Shelley Atkinson, Laural Merlington, and others
- Length: 24 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
You think you know how the world works? Think again. From best-selling author Neal Stephenson and critically acclaimed historical and contemporary novelist Nicole Galland comes a captivating and complex near-future thriller that questions the very foundations of the modern world. Magic has faded from the minds of mankind, until an encounter between Melisande Stokes, linguistics expert at Harvard, and Tristan Lyons, shadowy agent of government, leads to the uncovering of a distant past.
-
-
Slow slow slow. I just couldn't get into it.
- By Matt Petersen on 09-02-2018
-
The Confusion
- Books Four & Five of The Baroque Cycle
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble, Katherine Kellgren, Kevin Pariseau, and others
- Length: 34 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the year 1689, a cabal of Barbary galley slaves, including one “Half-Cocked Jack” Shaftoe, devises a daring plan to win freedom and fortune. A great adventure ensues that will place the intrepid band at odds with the mighty and the mad, with alchemists, Jesuits, great navies, pirate queens, and vengeful despots across vast oceans and around the globe.
-
-
generally good narration and great story
- By RFC on 23-09-2018
-
The System of the World
- Book Eight of The Baroque Cycle
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: Neal Stephenson (introduction), Kevin Pariseau, Simon Prebble
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this concluding volume of Neal Stephenson’s epic work, “Half-Cocked Jack” Shaftoe must escape the noose of Jack Ketch; the rivalry between Newton and Leibniz comes to a head; and Daniel Waterhouse pursues his dream to build the Logic Mill
-
-
Complex and erudite!
- By Chris O'Neill on 30-10-2018
-
Interface
- By: Neal Stephenson, J. Frederick George
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 25 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this now-classic thriller, he and fellow author J. Frederick George tell a shocking tale with an all-too plausible premise. There's no way William A. Cozzano can lose the upcoming presidential election. He's a likable midwestern governor with one insidious advantage - an advantage provided by a shadowy group of backers.
-
-
Week plot.
- By Russell on 20-06-2017
-
King of the Vagabonds
- Book Two of The Baroque Cycle
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: Neal Stephenson (introduction), Simon Prebble, Kevin Pariseau
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A chronicle of the breathtaking exploits of "Half-Cocked Jack" Shaftoe - London street urchin-turned-legendary swashbuckling adventurer - risking life and limb for fortune and love while slowly maddening from the pox...and Eliza, rescued by Jack from a Turkish harem to become spy, confidante, and pawn of royals in order to reinvent a contentious continent through the newborn power of finance.
-
-
Rollicking and fun!
- By Georgiegirl on 09-01-2021
-
Axiom's End
- A Novel
- By: Lindsay Ellis
- Narrated by: Oliver Thorn, Stephanie Willis
- Length: 16 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's fall 2007. A well-timed leak has revealed that the US government might have engaged in first contact. Cora Sabino is doing everything she can to avoid the whole mess, since the force driving the controversy is her whistleblower father. Even though Cora hasn't spoken to him in years, his celebrity has caught the attention of the press, the internet, the paparazzi, and the government - and with him in hiding, that attention is on her. She neither knows nor cares whether her father's leaks are a hoax and wants nothing to do with him.
-
-
Great story
- By Becca on 24-07-2020
-
The Sandman
- By: Neil Gaiman, Dirk Maggs
- Narrated by: Riz Ahmed, Kat Dennings, Taron Egerton, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When The Sandman, also known as Lord Morpheus - the immortal king of dreams, stories and the imagination - is pulled from his realm and imprisoned on Earth by a nefarious cult, he languishes for decades before finally escaping. Once free, he must retrieve the three “tools” that will restore his power and help him to rebuild his dominion, which has deteriorated in his absence.
-
-
incredible
- By Anonymous User on 17-07-2020
-
Currency
- Book Seven of The Baroque Cycle
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble, Neal Stephenson (introduction), Kevin Pariseau
- Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Daniel Waterhouse finds himself embroiled in a dark conflict that has been raging in the shadows for decades. It is a secret war between the brilliant, enigmatic Master of the Mint (and closet alchemist) Isaac Newton and his archnemesis, the insidious counterfeiter Jack the Coiner, a.k.a. Jack Shaftoe, King of the Vagabonds.
-
Odalisque
- Book Three of The Baroque Cycle
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble, Katherine Kellgren, Kevin Pariseau, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The trials of Dr. Daniel Waterhouse and the Natural Philosophers increase one-hundred fold in an England plagued by the impending war and royal insecurities - as the beautiful and ambitious Eliza plays a most dangerous game as double agent and confidante of enemy kings.
-
-
intricate and poignant
- By Anonymous User on 20-09-2020
-
Four Beheadings and a Funeral
- The Good Guys Series, Book 9
- By: Eric Ugland
- Narrated by: Neil Hellegers
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We join Montana, recently returned from an impromptu study abroad trip, a bit wiser, a bit broader in perspective, and a lot freaked out by the once-dead person who's currently in his bedroom. Possible zombie sightings aside, he's finally ready to take his job as Duke seriously. And just in time too - not only are the politics of the capital rapidly closing in on Montana's little valley holding, but there are also goblins to negotiate with. Plus, that cult threatening to take the lives of his citizens.
-
-
As always the only complaint is it is to short.
- By Owen Smith on 23-10-2020
-
When Gravity Fails
- Marid Audran Trilogy, Book 1
- By: George Alec Effinger
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For a new kind of killer roams the streets of the Arab ghetto, a madman whose bootlegged personality cartridges range from a sinister James Bond to a sadistic disemboweler named Khan. And Marid Audrian has been made an offer he can't refuse.The 200-year-old godfather of the Budayeen's underworld has enlisted Marid as his instrument of vengeance. But first Marid must undergo the most sophisticated of surgical implants before he dares to confront a killer who carries the power of every psychopath since the beginning of time.
-
-
dysfunctional protagonist talks about himself
- By Amazon Customer on 21-12-2020
-
Agency
- By: William Gibson
- Narrated by: Lorelei King
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In William Gibson's first novel since 2014's New York Times best-selling The Peripheral, a gifted "app-whisperer", hired to beta test a mysterious new product, finds her life endangered by her relationship with her surprisingly street-smart and combat-savvy "digital assistant".
-
-
For me, Agency is his best since Neuromancer
- By willb on 30-03-2020
Publisher's Summary
Critic Reviews
- Hugo Award Winner, Best Novel, 1996
- Locus Award Winner, Best Novel, 1996
"The Quentin Tarantino of postcyberpunk science fiction." (The Village Voice)
"[He] is the hottest science fiction writer in America." (Details)
More from the same
What listeners say about The Diamond Age
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- G Von
- 26-03-2019
Audio quality is poor
This is one of my favourite books. But the recording sounds poor. Like a very low bitrate.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dr
- 09-11-2018
Good, but not amongst Stephenson's best
This story feels like a bridge between the raw and exciting writing style of Snow Crash and the more polished Stephenson works like Cryptonomicon or Seveneves. The author's polymath ability is on display, but the premise and setting of the story require full suspension of disbelief on the part of the reader. Jennifer Wiltsie is one of the best female narrators I've heard, but is let down by poor audio quality compared to audio books recorded in the last 5 years or so.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Harry
- 04-08-2020
Great story - low quality audio
This was a fascinating story, yet the audio quality was not the best. I’m guessing the recording was done a long time ago.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Owen Neochi
- 12-07-2020
interesting idea, but a bit convoluted
I liked the whole nano tech stuff and the potential for us as well as the political future. but he develops the story well and the all of a sudden wraps up all the loose ends and the story is over.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- M. Owens
- 22-05-2020
Original complex and engaging
I really enjoyed this book. Intelligent plot with great original worldbuilding. Interesting characters. Ideas of collectivist vs individualist cultures, class and the nature of family.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ken
- 01-12-2019
Great Great story and narration, bad formatting
Story was fantastic but would have given 5 stars if it had an ending. Narration was good but was hard to get past her ridiculous pronunciation of "primer". The way the whole thing was put together was atrocious. It wasn't properly separated into chapters so there was chapters over 8 hours long. The last "chapter" was titled "End Credits" and had over an hour of story on it. Also the recording broke down into static in several places. It was wose than amateurish and I don't know how this passes quality control. So, yes it's a great story but buyer beware.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 17-09-2019
Boring and fussy.
The worst kind of Sci Fi. Loads of jargon that adds little. Not very imaginative. Ugh
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 21-08-2019
Heavy stuff.
Hoo-wee. This was quite the experience. The themes are extreme, visceral and sometimes particularly graphic in the storytelling. The coming of age of quite a few characters are exceptionally told. 4 stars for everything because I found myself skipping forward over a few parts, and the audio quality was surprisingly inferior to other productions available. Jennifer Wiltsie however did a mindblowingly fantastic job at performing this, and I would give ten stars for performance specifically. Be prepared to feel very strange and somewhat melancholic when thinking back on everything that happened in this story. I didn't feel negatively, but it certainly had my mind spinning and working hard to process the sheer volume of things that happened, which I think perhaps was Neal Stephenson's goal, or at least one of them.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Disco
- 09-07-2019
good story but drags in places
could have used a good edit performance was fine but sound quality was terrible overall it was fine but not amazing
-
Overall
- james gardiner
- 16-01-2019
Really interesting book, like every by Stephenson
loved it, I was enthralled for many hours listening to the Audio version of this book while driving. Full of interesting tech and predictions of an enchanting and scary future. At first I found the readers voice to be an odd match with the subject matter, but it soon became evident the Jennifer was a perfect match for this book. Highly recommended
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Tango
- 19-05-2013
The rock could use a bit more polishing
The Diamond Age is both amazing and frustrating. The first half of the book is truly brilliant; both science fiction and fantasy woven together with beautiful Victorian-toned prose. The second half of the book is rather irritating with dangling plot points, gratuitous sex (not needed and worse yet, not erotic) and torture scenes, and ultimately a rushed ending.
There are so many interesting sociological themes woven into this book that an English teacher could have a real field day with it. Characters are likable, settings are wonderfully vivid, but the plot gets far more convoluted than necessary. In spite of some flaws, overall, I found the book immensely entertaining, terribly imaginative, and far more literary than many sci-fi novels.
The narrator is superb - lovely voice with excellent character voices. One of the few narrators I have heard that could do a child's voice without making me gag. I wish Audible provided a separate rating category for "audio production" because I have to rate down the performance because the audio has flaws that just shouldn't be there. Jennifer Wiltsie is most definitely a FIVE STAR narrator, but there are several places in the recordings where the sound blurs and the cut at the end of part 1 is terrible. Hence my 4 stars on the performance.
I would recommend The Diamond Age with some caveats - this is definitely an adult novel and you have to be a reader willing to push on through some confusion to enjoy this.
165 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- ERICH E HEISE
- 06-08-2012
Great story, solid performance, poor audio quality
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
Better audio quality
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
It was a great book, but poor sampling or compression artifacts made it difficult to listen too with ambient white noise. Tinny, narrow range audio. Re-downloaded to ensure highest quality rate, but all qualities were poor.
67 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- Kamran
- 18-08-2008
Wow, another excellent book from Stephenson
Like a lot of good authors, Stephenson has books that aren't as well known but may end up being better or as good as his best-known works. This is one of those.
It is a different breed than Snow Crash, but I want to talk about this book in its own right. Diamond Age is almost a children's story, with the main character being a child who grows into an adult by the end of the book.
Here's something you have to keep in mind: Neal's books take about an hour to 2 hours to understand the world they are taking place in. He usually talks a lot and goes into a lot of detail early on, using phrases and names of things that you have no idea. However, by about 2 hours in, you understand where everything is taking place and the world makes sense.
Since this is naturally important for any book, I didn't take off a star because of it. I really enjoy his introductions to the world that he creates, because I find myself wondering and asking questions about it.
Here's another thing to keep in mind, this book isn't for everyone... people who like technology and computing might find it more enjoyable than someone who doesn't, but I think that it can appeal to many people since it is grounded in a story about a girl growing up.
With all that said, Diamond Age is a really, really good book. You get really drawn into the characters and a lot of that has to do with the narrator and how she reads the fairy tales from the Primer, as well as the different voices she uses for other characters. Unlike some other books in Neal's stash, Diamond Age doesn't go off on long tangents about ancient Gods or religions. Some of it is there, but it has a lot more to do with destiny and abuse of technology, or "Unforeseen Consequences."
If you really liked Snow Crash, just be prepared for something a little more light-hearted and less "kick-ass action" oriented, but still highly enjoyable. 4/5 stars.
89 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- ArnoldT
- 01-07-2018
Sounds like it was recorded on a cassette tape.
I am a big fan of Neil Stephenson, generally find his audio books to be fantastic, and I actually felt this story had a lot of promise. Sadly, the quality of the audio is so poor that I could not bring myself to listen beyond 1/4 of the way through. To be clear, the narration is fine; it’s just that the audio quality is the worst I’ve ever heard in a book from Audible. I think I’ll just read this one on paper or Kindle.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Steph
- 13-06-2013
Not predictable - its wonderful!
I read this book probably about eight to nine years ago after I read Snowcrash. I remember not liking it as much as Snowcrash, maybe because I wanted more of the tower of babel stuff. After listening to it, I have no idea why I didn't like it as much. This book is wonderful.
The beginning is a bit slow and the end is abrupt. At the end I did listen to a portion a couple of times to make sure I hadn't missed anything, but this book is delicious! It is full of future potential sociatal problems, science, what makes culture, how to raise children, and how to develop creativity, initiative, and fearlessness in a new generation. I thought it was fantastic.
If you are not familiar with Stephenson he does give you a lot of detail and is very descriptive in his world building. Some are bored by this and want more action. There is action, but I like that I come away feeling I learned something. He does explain processes and science in a way that if you are not a tech or science major you will understand him and not feel condescended to - no easy chore for an author.
The narrator was superb. Jennifer Wiltsie did a brilliant job, it was not over dramatized. Her accents were good, maybe not perfect all the time, but for the scope of accents she had to do and number of characters she did very well. Her characters were distinguishable and I believe I enjoyed listening to it more than when I read it. There were a few audio issues but Ms. Wiltsie made up for them.
Another thing I liked about this book is it deals with raising and growing strong women from girlhood. It is not a childrens book, but not all fantasy and science fiction has strong female characters, and this book not only has them but its a main focus. If you are not usually a science fiction buff, but want a good coming of age tale, this is still worth it. Get past the first five chapters before you throw it down and call me a liar.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- C. M. Newman
- 02-06-2005
Engrossing and well-read
This book is a brilliant imagining of the potential wonders and dangers of nanotech, but like all good science fiction it is more about the effects of technology on society than the technology itself. In a world of superabundant materials, where anything one can design through software can be built almost costlessly, what matters is how societies choose to define themselves and the meaning of a well-lived life. Hence we have futuristic technology employed by neo-Victorians and Confucians to inculcate (and subvert...) ancient values. Fascinating, with compelling characters. Certainly a more mature and subtle work than Snow Crash, much though I enjoyed the latter. And the female reader does a superb job, rendering the various accents from the neo-Victorians to the Bronx confucianism of Judge Fang so delightfully that I think listening to this is probably even better than reading it. I had difficulty getting out of my car at the end of my commute.
23 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- Andrew
- 27-03-2005
Stephenson at his most inventive, wonderfully read
This is one of the first few audio books I have listened to, and this one I have actually read before. All the wonderful baroque fanciness and joy of tech that was evident in Snow Crash is present here, yet Stephenson's writing style and characterisation improves markedly.
Stephenson's endings are often critisized (correctly in some cases) for being too open ended. I didn't find that a problem in tDA. This is not a 'travel a long way, destroy the ring and sauron, all go home' style of book, so it doesn't have that sort of ending.
The narration is simply excellent, with appropriate accents and timbre, but not overdone or excessively stereotypical. I personally felt that one or two voices were awkward (Nell and Harv) but given that all the characters were voiced by the same speaker I could forgive that. Despite having read the book already I listened to all 16 hours, it was just that good.
15 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- Erica/Greg
- 02-08-2003
Jennifer Wiltsie is Amazing..
I've read this book several times, but after hearing Jennifer Wiltsie's fantastic reading of it, I'm now addicted to the audiobook. Her clear, warm voice, her dramatic timing, her ability to slip flawlessly through a female texan accent, a male new york accent, a chinese accent, and others in a single conversation... I can't wait to find other audio books she's narrated, just to hear her read them.
The book is great, and you will never hear a Neal Stephenson book read better than by Jennifer Wiltsie.
32 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- Michelle
- 23-07-2003
Empowering Sci-Fi for Girls
Aside from the horrible pronunciation of the foreign (Chinese) words, the story is smart and the narrator does a great job bringing the story to life. The first hour or so seem a little confusing, but stick it through and you will get to know the main characters. The author's illustration of Shanghai and China is a remarkably accurate representation of the sights and senses of China today, of Chinese culture past and the brilliance of technology of the future.
24 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Magikarp Salad
- 27-06-2012
Love this book...
Awesome technology and extremely well written, as one would expect. Narrator is excellent. This book gets pretty crazy...and you'll need to pay attention - but the story is insanely good. It is not as action packed as Snow Crash - but I would say this is still better.
There are 1000's of reviews and descriptions of all the important parts of this book, so I'll keep this short, but wanted to just mention - I just fell in love with little Nell - just so drawn into the story - concerned for her well being, happy when things go well for her... This is one of the books I have listened to numerous times (and will continue to).
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Ian
- 08-07-2013
Worth the time - if you can deal with the quality
This is, for the most part, a wholly enjoyable audiobook.
Neal Stephenson writes gripping, often very long and complex stories and this is no exception. I don't believe it to be his best - I thought that (subjectively speaking) Reamde was a better story overall - and it is a bit slow getting started but the level of invention and imagination on display is fabulous. Once the world the characters inhabit is described and the characters themselves are introduced it develops an express-train like momentum leading to the perhaps slightly underwhelming conclusion.
The narration from Jennifer Wiltsie is top notch: well characterised and performed. I'm maintaining my performance stars despite common complaints on here about the word "primer" being pronounced "primmer". It may be jarring to the British Ear but that is quite normal in American English.
So why only 3 stars overall? Frankly, despite downloading the best quality version I could, it sounds like the story was recorded over the telephone with even some "old-skool" interference on the line at times to maintain the feel. It may be an old recording and cheap but this is far below the standard I'd expect from Audible.
31 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- David
- 30-04-2008
It's good, but
There are lots of things to like about this book, and lots of things to like about the author. He's really imaginative; the worlds he creates are exotic but believable - and Diamond Age is no exception. And the story in many places is really good - at times gripping. There's a but coming though . . . three things. Firstly, the storylines can get so cokmplicated it's at times difficult to follow. Secondly, it is surely impossible to pronounce primer 'primmer'. Probably not he author's fault, granted, and possibly unreasonable but NO. Finally, it's a disappointing ending - the book builds up to a great ending . . . and then it just stops. But overall a good read, loads going on and just about worth the effort.
23 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mat Morrison
- 21-03-2019
Horrible reading.
Thin, tinny audio. Pronounces “Primer” (a key term, used frequently) “Primmer.” The mental effort required to ignore this is exhausting.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mr P Delic
- 04-11-2015
Really enjoyed this...
This is one of my favourite books and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing it read. I have only one gripe and that is this: Being British I am used to the word 'primer' being pronounced 'prime' with an 'r' on the end not 'prim' with an 'er' on the end and I winced every time it occurred.
This does not, however, in any way prevent me from heartily recommending this fabulous audiobook. :0) x
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Oliver Switch
- 12-07-2018
Primer or Primmer?
The book is clearly used for "PRIMING" young ladies... Please try to find narrators that can comprehend written English. (If it was Stephenson's intention, I apologise to the narrator.. and want to give the author a little slap) phenomenal story, clearly not a sequel to Snow Crash, despite being subsequent and in the same reality. Spectacular.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- Leon
- 10-07-2010
I wish I could be a neo-Victorian nano-engineer
2000 characters is inadequate to describe the number of mind blowing moments in this book where the concepts are revealled in a such a way that you can guess what's going on whilst also setting you up to be blown away at the exact moment that all of the pieces fall into place. Quite clever use of characters that fade into the background, only to turn out to be the main protagonists all along. Innumerable innovations, in particular the book of smart paper sheets connected by a data backbone in the spine; nanomaterial matter compilers that take signed matter feeds, and then underground unregistered feeds reserved for nefarious purposes; and the drummer network, the most ingenious and mind blowing concept. This is all held together by the use of the story within the story of the Primer, and how it plays a part in the conspiracy and revolution. The only problem I have is wanting to be in this world already. Well I guess it isn't that far away.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Beccameriel
- 06-08-2013
I love the story but...
.. was wildly irritated every time the othewise excellent narrator said "primmer" for "primer". Aaargh. I know it's a tiny thing but it was constantly distracting as it's a word that is said rather often.
That aside ("primmer" - bleugh) it's a cracking listen and full of wild flights of nano-tech fancy. Although I did get a bit bored in the company of the drummers. The New Victorian enclave was so much more fascinating.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 30-04-2020
Can the narrator actually read?
One of the worst narrated stories I've ever listened to. I'm only a couple of hours in and I don't know if I can go any further. Why will she not say "primer", it's written as "primer", where the hell does she get "primmer" from? A fantastic story though, just spoiled
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Marco Polo
- 25-01-2020
Gives new meaning to “phoning it in”
Another typical Stephenson story: a Dickensian host of characters, philosophical conversations on topics such as education, parenthood, statism, and nanotechnology. My gripe is with the quality of the audio recording. The engineers made narrator Jennifer Wiltsie sound as if she were recording via telephone! In addition, there were several patches of bad distortion which made comprehension impossible, albeit briefly. The audio is not conveniently divided into chapters: the first “chapter” is titled “opening credits” and lasts several hours! So good luck navigating your way through this lengthy book! The substandard audio is a real shame because Jennifer Wiltsie is a very talented narrator who manages a great many accents convincingly. No doubt there are many North Americans who can do an upper class British accent, but how many can do Scottish and Geordie, eh? Then there’s the Chinese, Sikh and Oxford-Jamaican-Indian! Poor show, Audible. This should never have got past your quality control team.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 27-11-2019
The worst audio quality ever
I am unsure if it is the vocal artist/actor or the microphone & compression but this grates on me. I managed about 3minutes if this book which is a shame as I really want to hear the story. I am going to try and get me money back
1 person found this helpful
20 Best Fantasy Audiobooks
This genre is so full of talent, it can be difficult to know what to listen to next — so look no further than this list to get you started.



20 Best Nonfiction Audiobooks
From the entire history of humanity to astrophysics, to our gut and mental health, dig into this list and learn something new.



Best Australian Podcasts on Audible
Audible Original Podcasts are free for Audible members. Check out this list of home-grown content, from binge-worthy true crime to self-help.


