Quicksilver is set in the late 17th and early 18th century, mostly in England, France, and the United Provinces, with sections further east and in Massachusetts. It deals with the science, economy and politics of that era, revolving around characters such as Isaac Newton. Ancestors of the characters of Stephenson's Cryptonomicon feature strongly. As in other Stephenson works, there is a theme of how money works. The novel covers such historical events as the Great Plague, the Great Fire of London, the Edict of Fontainebleau, the Monmouth Rebellion, the Bloody Assizes, the Battle of Vienna and the Glorious Revolution, though many details, such as the identity of members of the CABAL, have been changed.
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3 External links
The The Age of Unreason cycle by Keyes shares many of the historical characters of Quicksilver such as Benjamin Franklin, Newton, Louis XIV of France and Nicolas Fatio de Duillier.