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The Baroque CycleThe Baroque Cycle is a series of books written by Neal Stephenson and published in 2003 and 2004. The cycle contains eight novels which are published in three volumes: - Quicksilver, Vol. I of the Baroque Cycle
- Book 1 - Quicksilver
- Book 2 - The King of the Vagabonds
- Book 3 - Odalisque
- The Confusion, Vol. II of the Baroque Cycle
- Book 4 - Bonanza
- Book 5 - The Juncto
- The System of the World, Vol. III of the Baroque Cycle
- Book 6 - Solomon's Gold
- Book 7 - Currency
- Book 8 - The System of the World
The story follows the adventures of a cast of characters who find themselves amidst the central events of late 17th and early 18thcenturies European politics. The author claims the book is science fiction due to its style rather than its content, although the sciences of cryptology and numismatics feature heavily in the series. Main Characters The main characters are Daniel Waterhouse, an English scientist and political activist, Eliza, a British girl abducted into slavery, and later freed, who becomes a spy and a financier, and Jack Shaftoe, an adventurer/criminal of high intelligence but questionable sanity. There is also Enoch Root, a mysterious personage who flickers about Europe, who never ages, and may have certain other preternatural qualities. Quicksilver is set mainly in the years between the Restoration of the Stuart monarchy in England and the Glorious Revolution of 1688. The Confusion follows Quicksilver without interruption. The System of the World is set in 1714, about 20 years after the events of The Confusion. Other characters - Louis Anglesey - Earl of Upnor.
- Thomas More Anglesey - Cavalier, Duke of Gunfleet.
- Duc d'Arcachon - French admiral who dabbles in slavery.
- Etienne d'Arcachon - Son of the duke, most polite man in France.
- Henry Arlanc - Huguenot, friend of Jack Shaftoe, porter of Royal Society.
- Mrs. Arlanc - Wife of Henry
- Gomer Bolstrood - Dissident agitator.
- Clarke - Alchemist, boards young Isaac Newton.
- Charles Comstock - Son of John Comstock.
- John Comstock - Earl of Epsom and Lord Chancellor.
- Roger Comstock - Marquis of Ravenscar, whig ally of Daniel Waterhouse.
- Will Comstock - Earl of Lostwithiel
- Dappa - Nigerian sailor aboard Minerva.
- Moseh de la Cruz - galley slave, Spanish Jew.
- Vrej Esphanian - galley slave.
- Mr. Foot - Ertswhile bar owner from Dunkirk.
- douard de Gex - Jesuit fanatic.
- Gabriel Goto - galley slave, Jesuit priest from Japan.
- Lothar von Hacklheber - German banker obsessed with alchemy.
- Thomas Ham - Goldsmith half-brother of Daniel Waterhouse.
- Otto van Hoek - Captain of the Minerva.
- Jeronimo - galley slave, a vile but high-born Spaniard.
- Mr. Kikin - Russian diplomat in London.
- Nyazi - galley slave, camel-trader of the Upper Nile.
- Norman Orney - London shipbuilder.
- Danny Shaftoe - son of Jack Shaftoe.
- Jimmy Shaftoe - son of Jack Shaftoe.
- Sluys - Dutch merchant and traitor.
- Mr. Threader - Tory money manager.
- Drake Waterhouse - Puritan father of Daniel Waterhouse.
- Faith Waterhouse - Wife of Daniel Waterhouse.
- Godfrey Waterhouse - Son of Daniel Waterhouse.
- Mayflower Waterhouse - Half-sister of Daniel Waterhouse, wife of Thomas Ham.
- Raleigh Waterhouse - Brother of Daniel Waterhouse.
- Sterling Waterhouse - Brother of Daniel Waterhouse.
- Charles White - Tory who bites peoples ears off.
- Yevgeny the Raskolnik - Russian whaler.
Historical figures that appear as characters in the novel Quote "Why Baroque? Because it is set in the Baroque, and it IS baroque. Why Cycle? Because I am trying to avoid the T-word ("trilogy"). In my mind this work is something like 7 or 8 connected novels. These have been lumped together into three volumes because it is more convenient from a publishing standpoint, but they could just as well have been put all together in a single immense volume or separated into 7 or 8 separate volumes. So to slap the word "trilogy" on it would be to saddle it with a designation that is essentially bogus. Having said that, I know everyone's going to call it a trilogy anyway. " - Neal Stephenson External links Baroque Cycle
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