Let's make this birthday one to remember.

66 years old (Born on October 31, 1959)

Happy Birthday, Neal Stephenson! May your day be as thrilling and mind-bending as a high-speed chase through the Metaverse. From hacking reality in "Snow Crash" to encrypting history with "Cryptonomicon," you've given us worlds so vivid we sometimes forget which one we're living in. Your novels aren't just speculative—they're practically prophetic!

Here's hoping this year brings you even more success—perhaps another award-winning masterpiece or an epic game design that bends our minds once again. Keep crafting those brilliant universes; we'll keep happily losing ourselves inside them (and occasionally wondering if you're secretly predicting the future). Cheers!