The Cobweb

By: Neal Stephenson, J. Frederick George

Narrated by: Marc Vietor

From his triumphant debut with Snow Crash to the stunning success of his latest novel, Quicksilver, Neal Stephenson has quickly become the voice of a generation. In this now-classic political thriller, he and fellow author J. Frederick George tell a savagely witty, chillingly topical tale set in the tense moments of the Gulf War.

When a foreign exchange student is found murdered at an Iowa University, Deputy Sheriff Clyde Banks finds that his investigation extends far beyond the small college town, all the way to the Middle East. Shady events at the school reveal that a powerful department is using federal grant money for highly dubious research. And what its producing is a very nasty bug. Navigating a plot that leads from his own backyard to Washington, D.C., to the Gulf, where his Army Reservist wife has been called to duty, Banks realizes he may be the only person who can stop the wholesale slaughtering of thousands of Americans. Its a lesson in foreign policy he'll never forget.

©2005 Neal Stephenson & J. Frederick George (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

The Best Neal Stephenson Book

I’ve listened to all of Neal Stephenson’s books and while practically all of them are outstanding Cobweb is exceptional. The characters are sharply drawn, the story believable, the insights into the intel world extraordinary interesting.

Neil Stevenson's mastery of the subject and storytelling

this was the last of Stevenson's books that I had not read. for some reason I put it off I think because the audible description totally did not fit what was found inside the cover. it sounded disinteresting. in reality it was an excellent novel. great to listen to engaging and I hope this guy stays alive long enough to provide a few more years of enjoyment to his legion of fans.

Great book, good listen

This book was really entertaining. While at times the narrators voice didn't sit well with me, overall he did a solid job.

Starts slow but builds up

It started out kind of slow, but then built up into a very interesting story.

Excellent book

This an outstanding book. It is classic Neal Stephenson, as funny as Reamde, and intricately plotted as Cryptinomicon (sp?). The book is so realistic about the politics of national security just before the first Iraq war that one thinks Neal must somehow have been involved. I strongly recommend this wonderful read!

Excellent

With this book, I have now listened to all of Stephenson’s novels on Audible. I am a big fan, but I can honestly say this was one of my favorites. A sheer pleasure to read. There are many thematic connections with Reamde. While this book lacks some of the fun tech stuff that Stephenson is so good at, the story is just perfect. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Great Story, immersive

Great story, slow at times. The substance, the details and depth make up for rest.

loved it

This book might be summed up as small town cop saves the world, but it is oh so much more. Former olympic wrestler marries the sister of his toughest opponent, starts a family, and runs for county sheriff. Reservist wife goes to war; small town cop makes friends with foreign agent and prevents disaster. Brother and sister leave the farm and get caught up in international intrigue -- one at the CIA and the other at a mid-west university. The brother is killed; the sister wins the political game. A marvelous, tense adventure that will keep you alert.

A weak olaboration

This fanciful tale turned into a commercial for CNN which everyone seemed to watch and was mentioned 11 times. I normally concentrate more on the plot of a book, but this one required a diversion to keep up interest. Since ratings indicate that few real people watch CNN I wonder where the authors went wrong..

Reads like pure Stephenson.

Would you listen to The Cobweb again? Why?

The story was complex, clever and always kept me interested.

What other book might you compare The Cobweb to and why?

The Cobweb is a fascinating precursor to Reamde. I'm a fan of Stephenson in general, and I love seeing how his ideas and writing have evolved over the years.

Any additional comments?

If you love Stephenson, or just love spy thrillers, get this book!