This is an excellent story but the worldbuilding is what floored me most. The Street of the Metaverse, Asherah/Enki Sumerian religion, glossolalia, and computer viruses all unite to create a world where a pizza delivery man/hacker and a resourceful delivery kourier can figure in an apocalyptic game for the future of the world. It's, in a word, brilliant. I loved the characters, but even they pale against the canvas Stephenson created.