79 pages • 2 hours read
Neal StephensonThe Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer
Neal StephensonFiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1995A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Part 1, Chapters 1-15Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 1
Chapter 1 Summary: “A thete visits a mod parlor; noteworthy features of modern armaments.”
Bud is a low-level criminal who lives in the outskirts of the Chinese Coastal Republic, Shanghai, China (now lapsed into chaos because of changes brought by nanotechnology). Bud goes to a modification parlor to get a bigger skull gun.
Chapter 2 Summary: “Source Victoria; description of its environs.”
Source Victoria processes polluted air and water to clean them and extract molecular materials that can then be assembled into just about anything; people access this nanotechnology through the Feed and matter compilers that assemble cheap, low-quality goods for anyone who needs them. Source Victoria is the primary source of influence for Atlantis/Shanghai, a clave (enclave) of the neo-Victorian phyle (tribe or affinity group) located in Shanghai, the old stomping grounds of imperial England.
Chapter 3 Summary: “Financial complications of Bud’s lifestyle; visit to a banker.”
Despite his bigger skull gun, Bud fails to find work.
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