Mixed reaction after finishing this. On the positive side: I learned a ton (orbital mechanics, nuclear power, space travel, evolution, genetics), and I can't recall reading another book anything like it. Stephenson challenges the reader in ways that other authors don't dare, and I admire that.

However, for me the book lacked a certain emotion, a sense of humanity... which, given its subject matter, felt terribly ironic. For long stretches it was hard to stay invested in the outcome. The first 2/3 were much more epic in scope; in the end, it came down to a discordant set of very small interactions that felt at odds with the magnitude of what was happening.