Now, I have long been nonplussed by Isaac’s Alchemical research, but as years have gone by I have perceived that he would achieve a similar triumph by finding a single common underlying explanation for phænomena that we think of as diverse, and unrelated: free will, God’s presence in the Universe, miracles, and the transmutation of chymical elements. Counched in the willfully obscure jargon of the Alchemists, this cause, or principle, or whatever one wants to call it, is known as the Philosopher’s Stone, or other terms such as the Philosophic Mercury, the Vital Agent, the Latent or Subtile Spirit, the Secret Fire, the Material Soul of Matter, the Invisible Habitant, the Body of Light, the Seed, the Seminal Virtue.

– Neal Stephenson in The System of the World

For a book written by Neal Stephenson, I had a hard time getting into Quicksilver, the first book of his Baroque Cycle. This is astonishing because of how much I enjoyed and how quickly I devoured his earlier books, Snow Crash and The Diamond Age. Quicksilver and its subsequent volumes The Confusion and The System of the World, appear at first glance to be a different beast entirely. For one thing, the events chronicled in the novel take place from roughly the middle of the 17th century to the beginning of the 18th century. For another, real historical figures from the period in question play a central role in the story and while most of the exploits described in the novel are fictional, they are skillfully interleaved with real historical events. For these reasons, ever since the publication of the first volume, debate has raged amongst fans and readers on whether or not it even constitutes science-fiction.

The historical richness of the books is itself one of the main reasons why I found reading Quicksilver to be so much work at first. The first volume of the series opens in Boston 1713, as a kind of flash forward from the main story. Immediately, the reader is plunged without warning or explanation into the hubbub of the eighteenth century: witch-hangings and crowds of Puritans, the Asiento and how it relates to the War of the Spanish Succession, why Oliver Cromwell chopped off the head of Charles 1 and how this lead to William and Mary becoming joint sovereigns of England etc. Without a solid grounding in the history of the period, or at least a good encyclopedia at hand and a readiness to use it liberally, one might be inclined to give up making any sense of it all.

Those who persevere however will find that Stephenson has woven a tale, or rather a collection of intertwined tales, that more than matches the quality of his previous and more famous works. Through the eyes of three fictional characters, Daniel Waterhouse, a natural philosopher, Jack Shaftoe, a vagabond and Eliza de la Zeur, a courtier and financier, Stephenson takes the reader on a grand tour of the period and around the world. Innumerable historic figures people the story, in roles large and small, including scientists (Robert Hooke, Christiaan Huygens and Christopher Wren), military leaders (John Churchill, John III Sobieski and the legendary Count d’Artagnan), monarchs (Louis XIV, Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Peter I the Great), rogues (Jack Ketch, Edward Teach and Jean Bart) and many others. The books present not only a detailed description of what life was like for the different people living in the different places of that time but also an invaluable apercu of the great events of the day as seen through the eyes of the protagonists. The repercussions of these events continue to this day for chronicled in the books are no less than the birth of modern science, the introduction of fiat money, the globalization of labour and commerce and the rise of liberalism, all of which would ultimately result in the Enlightenment.

As a series written by a science-fiction author and an avowed geek, the birth of science is given special prominence. Daniel Waterhouse is introduced as the youngest son of a Puritan, fathered for the express purpose of becoming a clergyman and learning fluent Aramaic so as to personally welcome Jesus Christ in 1666, the date that his father believed with absolute conviction on which the Second Coming would occur. Daniel however turned out to be more interested in natural philosophy than religion, and with the connivance of John Wilkins goes to study at Trinity College at Cambridge University. There, he recognizes a kindred in fellow student Isaac Newton and arranges to share a room with him, and thus begins a complex and tumultuous relationship that would last for over 50 years.

As Waterhouse’s career develops, the reader is treated to many details, some milestones, others footnotes, of the history of science: Newton’s early research into how the human eye works, by poking a blunt needle into the cavity of his own eye; the meetings of the Royal Society founded chiefly by Wilkins during which all manner of popular beliefs of the time are put to the test; Hooke’s obsessive dissection of any living thing he can get his hands on and peering at it with microscope to see if everything really is made up of cells; gross vivisections and experiments involving the transfusion of all of the blood from one dog into another; Wilkins’ work on creating a universal philosophical language and Gottfried Leibniz’s theoretical logical mill that would run on it, a sort of primitive computer. Of course, science didn’t begin in the 17th century, but the books make it clear that the fresh approach of the fellows of the Royal Society, performing empirical experiments, documenting and describing everything so that others could replicate their experiments and encouraging widespread dissemination of information, resulted in an unprecedented explosion of knowledge and an eventual commodification of technology.

In the books, the open approach of science is sharply contrasted against the secrecy of the alchemists, in whose intrigues Newton becomes more and more embroiled over the years, much to the disgust of Waterhouse. Where the scientists seek to satisfy their thirst for knowledge, the alchemists search for the mythical Philosopher’s Stone, and with it the secret of immortality. While fictional, this quest, together with the enigmatic Enoch Root, a seemingly ageless character who turns up at unexpected moments to alter the course of major events, provides the plot with a measure of fantasy and mystery.

Where Waterhouse’s stories take into the studies of the intellectual elite of Europe, the stories of Jack Shaftoe are a window into the seamy side of society. Born an illiterate mudlark in East London, Half-cocked Jack as he becomes known, earns his title of King of the Vagabonds through a series of exploits and adventures, each one more daring and outlandish than the last, that eventually takes him clear around the world. While his stories lack a clear theme, they are highly entertaining and hearken back to the swashbuckling tales of 19th century writers like Robert Louis Stevenson and Alexandre Dumas. Soldiering and looting at the Battle of Vienna of 1683, an intricately planned robbery at sea, a heroic showdown in the streets of Cairo, a battle against elephant-riding bandits in India, matching wits against the Pirate-Queen of Malabar and isolationist Japanese under the sakoku policy; no odds are too great for the resourceful Jack.

Jack’s adventures also serve to introduce a large number of colourful characters from around the world with unique tales of their own to tell including Gabriel Goto, a Jesuit-trained, katana-wielding Japanese who has never visited Japan since his family fled from their homeland due to persecution for being Christians; Dappa, a black African from the Niger with an immense talent for languages and speaks better English than most Englishmen who have a hard time believing that he is intelligent at all; Jeronimo, the nobly-born Spaniard who is valiant in battle but seems to be afflicted with Tourette’s syndrome, which in his case gives him an irresistible urge to blurt out whatever he thinks is the truth in the foulest language possible. Through such characters, Stephenson shows the reader the world beyond Europe, touching on such subjects as the flow of Spanish silver from the mines in South America and how it is the lifeblood of European commerce; the importance of the trade in African slaves and how it is justified; and how the Damascus steel that is used to forge the finest Japanese katanas and Janissary swords are made in India.

The most important character who is introduced in Jack’s adventures is Eliza, a beautiful young slave girl of European descent who he rescues from a Turkish harem after the defeat of their besieging army by the Polish Winged Hussars at Vienna. She turns out to have a fondness for natural philosophers and a head for making money. Making use of both her beauty and her intelligence, she weaves a web of influence over politics and commerce, and is embroiled in the great intrigues of the day between two great men who wish to control England: Louis XIV and William of Orange. Along the way, Stephenson shows us the sophistication of the stock market in Amsterdam, how commerce works in Lyons without any money changing hands, how England becomes a center of trade despite having few natural resources of her own, and how spies securely communicate information by encrypting it in their letters.

There are many twists and turns as the many stories evolve and come together: Daniel Waterhouse finds to his surprise that he has inherited not only the responsibility to continue Wilkins’ scientific work but also his father’s mantle as a leader of Puritans and dissidents and thereby gains entry into the corridors of power. Jack Shaftoe discovers that something that he stole is much more valuable than he thought is was, and thereby becomes the enemy of many alchemists, including Isaac Newton. Eliza in her quest to regain something she has lost single-handedly brings about an economic recession throughout western Europe. Some of the revelations in the plot are gossipy: did Newton really have a homosexual relationship with Nicolas Fatio de Duillier? Others genuinely touching, including the proud Hooke’s sincere gratitude towards Waterhouse when the latter announces that he will do his utmost to ensure that history shall remember Hooke, regardless of how hard the jealous Newton tries to erase his legacy. None of the stories are boring.

As all of the above shows, the remarkable extent of Stephenson’s research is obvious. People, places and events are vividly described and I particularly enjoyed how skillfully Stephenson captured the spirit of the changing times including the horrifying devastation of the Great Fire of London in 1666, the heady optimism of the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the pompousness and sophistication of etiquette at Versailles and the pettiness of Newton’s philosophical war with Leibniz over who invented the calculus. And if the need to regurgitate vast reams of information makes it sometimes seem as if every character in the series is improbably learned and witty, that is a failing that is easy to forgive.

To be sure, the Baroque Cycle is not a series for everyone. Some mysteries are frustratingly left unsolved even at the very end and important events in the personal lives of many of the protagonists take place off-stage if they are unrelated to the themes Stephenson deems to be of interest. But for those who love knowledge, this series is one to be treasured not only for the many anecdotes of what life was like during one of the most exciting periods in history, but also for the feat of making such familiar names from history as Newton, Louis XIV and Sophie-Charlotte of Hanover seem fresh and more incredibly, cool.