The Diamond Age

The Diamond Age
First edition
AuthorNeal Stephenson
Cover artistBruce Jensen
LanguageEnglish
Genre
PublisherBantam Spectra (U.S.)
Publication date
February 1995
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback) & Audio Book (Cassette, MP3 CD, Audio download. Narrator: Jennifer Wiltsie) & e-book
Pages455 (hardcover), 512 (paperback)
AwardsLocus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1996), Hugo Award for Best Novel (1996)
ISBN0-553-09609-5 (hardcover), ISBN 0-553-38096-6 (paperback)
OCLC30894530
813/.54 20
LC ClassPS3569.T3868 D53 1995

The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer is a science fiction novel by American writer Neal Stephenson. It is to some extent a Bildungsroman or coming-of-age story, focused on a young girl named Nell, set in a future world in which nanotechnology affects all aspects of life. The novel deals with themes of education, social class, ethnicity, and the nature of artificial intelligence. The Diamond Age was first published in 1995 by Bantam Books, as a Bantam Spectra hardcover edition. In 1996, it won both the Hugo and Locus Awards, and was shortlisted for the Nebula and other awards.