Society in The Diamond Age is dominated by a number of phyles, also sometimes called tribes.
The Diamond Age deals extensively with the notion of moral relativism and seems to postulate its failure.
This would set The Diamond Age some 80-100 years after Snow Crash.
One thing tho - please can we start calling it the Diamond Age?
It was followed by the equally successful The Diamond Age.
They have a passing mention in The Diamond Age as being used on a wheelchair belonging to a minor character.
The Diamond Age depicts a world completely changed by the full development of nanotechnology that is present everywhere.
"The Diamond Age" is a, personally, fascinating look into a oddl retro-future.
I think Diamond Age is better than Snow Crash, but maybe that's just me.
The Diamond Age will be released early next year by Bantam.