Wikia

Quicksilver (volume)
	<img alt="Cover of Quicksilver Trade PB 9780060593087" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIABAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAEALAAAAAABAAEAQAICTAEAOw%3D%3D" width="290" height="436" data-image-name="Cover of Quicksilver Trade PB 9780060593087.jpg" data-image-key="Cover_of_Quicksilver_Trade_PB_9780060593087.jpg" data-src="http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080724103830/baroquecycle/images/thumb/c/c8/Cover_of_Quicksilver_Trade_PB_9780060593087.jpg/290px-Cover_of_Quicksilver_Trade_PB_9780060593087.jpg" class="lzy lzyPlcHld" onload="if(typeof ImgLzy=="object"){ImgLzy.load(this)}" /><noscript><img alt="Cover of Quicksilver Trade PB 9780060593087" src="http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080724103830/baroquecycle/images/thumb/c/c8/Cover_of_Quicksilver_Trade_PB_9780060593087.jpg/290px-Cover_of_Quicksilver_Trade_PB_9780060593087.jpg" width="290" height="436" data-image-name="Cover of Quicksilver Trade PB 9780060593087.jpg" data-image-key="Cover_of_Quicksilver_Trade_PB_9780060593087.jpg" />
Author	Neal Stephenson
Books	Quicksilver; The King of the Vagabonds; Odalisque
Next	The Confusion

For other uses, see Quicksilver (disambiguation).

The Baroque Cycle Characters
Isaac Newton • Enoch Root • Daniel Waterhouse • Drake Waterhouse • John Wilkins

Quicksilver is the first volume in Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle. It consists of three books, Quicksilver, The King of the Vagabonds, and Odalisque.

Significance of the titleEdit

Quicksilver has several meanings relevant to many of the books of the Cycle.

The element of mercury, also known as "quicksilver," is important in gold and silver mining
Quicksilver was used in a number of early scientific instruments
In Roman mythology, Mercury is a fleet-footed god of trade, profit, and commerce
"Quicksilver" is one of Jack Shaftoe's many names