6 ms·

Cyberpunk books that revolutionized the genre

34 points by bwb 2y ago

bwb 2y ago
Author Stu Jones shares some of the best cyberpunk books he feels revolutionized the genre :) My all-time fav is Snow Crash, blew my young mind when I read it.
bwb 2y ago
Also if you are curious... Here are the most recommended cyberpunk books on Shepherd: https://shepherd.com/bookshelf/cyberpunk?order=most_recommended https://shepherd.com/bookshelf/cyberpunk?order=most_recommen... And the most recommended cyberpunk books from the last 3 years: https://shepherd.com/bookshelf/cyberpunk?order=most_recommended&years=2022-2024 https://shepherd.com/bookshelf/cyberpunk?order=most_recommen... I just read Titanium Noir and it is fantastic if you like a noir mystery mashed with a cyberpunk universe: https://shepherd.com/book/titanium-noir https://shepherd.com/book/titanium-noir
- sumo89 2y ago
  I've just ordered Titanium Noir, reviews online look really good too. Thanks for the recommendation.
  - bwb 2y ago
    Awesome, let me know what you think :) I found it last year through the best books of 2023 picks for authors; it is one of my favorites so far this year.
jhbadger 2y ago
It's weird that he mentions Snow Crash without even mentioning that it is a parody of cyberpunk that is making fun of the self-serious nature of the genre. I mean Stephenson's hero protagonist is literally named "Hiro Protagonist", the crime lord Uncle Enzo controls pizza delivery rather than something like hard drugs, and features countries that exist as franchises like fast food restaurants. I like the book, don't get me wrong, but the way the OP (and others) talk about the book you wouldn't expect it to be a comedy as it is.
- bwb 2y ago
  I loved the humor as well; it's part of why it is so readable. But what really stood out for me was this insane future he painted a picture of.
- mnky9800n 2y ago
  I liked it when I read it. But you are the first person that also sees the book as satire. I started hating the book because so many people think it's so amazing when it's supposed to be like space balls.
- aaron695 2y ago
  [dead]
- hacknewslogin 2y ago
  Ok I'm really glad you mentioned that. It didn't fully occur to me, and now I appreciate the book a lot more. Except of course for the oversexualization of a 15 year old, and the authors poor attempts at "sexy writing."
sumo89 2y ago
Ready Player One is not a good book. It starts with an interesting premise then devolves in to a competition for how many 80s references it can fit in each sentence.
- bwb 2y ago
  I liked it, but if you think it had too many references from the 80s, you should check the other book he wrote out of the library. I tried to read it and thought it was a joke at first, as it is 100x more than RP1.
lincon127 2y ago
This list is so generic, so uninspired, that I'd of thought an AI generated it had it not been for the advertisement for the author's own book at the top and bottom of the page... Actually, I'm still not convinced it wasn't generated by an AI.
- bwb 2y ago
  It is not AI, and the author shared the books he felt revolutionized the genre. You might disagree with him, but let's not be rude and call him AI. Every author we do these with signs an honor statement that they will not use AI for anything on the website (and will be blacklisted if they do). We also screen for this. If you are looking for some outside-the-box Cyberpunk recommendations... The best cyberpunk novels that launched and defined the subgenre https://shepherd.com/best-books/cyberpunk-that-launched-and-defined-the-subgenre https://shepherd.com/best-books/cyberpunk-that-launched-and-... I bet you have not read these :) The best cyberpunk books you won’t be able to put down https://shepherd.com/best-books/cyberpunk-books-you-wont-be-able-to-put-down https://shepherd.com/best-books/cyberpunk-books-you-wont-be-... A bit more of a modern take around the same idea.
atombender 2y ago
For anyone into cyberpunk, I recommend checking out Alfred Bested, who seriously influenced the genre. His two masterpieces, The Stars My Destination and The Demolished Man, could both be called "proto-cyberpunk", but the one that I think comes closest is Extro (1975, also published as The Computer Connection). It's a crazy, fun, ballsy, flawed novel that was panned when it came out, but way ahead of its time.
- bwb 2y ago
  Nice, I was very happy to see that 5 authors have recommended The Stars My Destination -> https://shepherd.com/search/author/14620 https://shepherd.com/search/author/14620 But nothing for Demolished Man yet. Very cool and I'll check it out :)

34 points by bwb 2y ago

bwb 2y ago

Author Stu Jones shares some of the best cyberpunk books he feels revolutionized the genre :) My all-time fav is Snow Crash, blew my young mind when I read it.

bwb 2y ago

Also if you are curious... Here are the most recommended cyberpunk books on Shepherd: https://shepherd.com/bookshelf/cyberpunk?order=most_recommended https://shepherd.com/bookshelf/cyberpunk?order=most_recommen... And the most recommended cyberpunk books from the last 3 years: https://shepherd.com/bookshelf/cyberpunk?order=most_recommended&years=2022-2024 https://shepherd.com/bookshelf/cyberpunk?order=most_recommen... I just read Titanium Noir and it is fantastic if you like a noir mystery mashed with a cyberpunk universe: https://shepherd.com/book/titanium-noir https://shepherd.com/book/titanium-noir

sumo89 2y ago
I've just ordered Titanium Noir, reviews online look really good too. Thanks for the recommendation.
- bwb 2y ago
  Awesome, let me know what you think :) I found it last year through the best books of 2023 picks for authors; it is one of my favorites so far this year.

jhbadger 2y ago

It's weird that he mentions Snow Crash without even mentioning that it is a parody of cyberpunk that is making fun of the self-serious nature of the genre. I mean Stephenson's hero protagonist is literally named "Hiro Protagonist", the crime lord Uncle Enzo controls pizza delivery rather than something like hard drugs, and features countries that exist as franchises like fast food restaurants. I like the book, don't get me wrong, but the way the OP (and others) talk about the book you wouldn't expect it to be a comedy as it is.

bwb 2y ago
I loved the humor as well; it's part of why it is so readable. But what really stood out for me was this insane future he painted a picture of.
mnky9800n 2y ago
I liked it when I read it. But you are the first person that also sees the book as satire. I started hating the book because so many people think it's so amazing when it's supposed to be like space balls.
aaron695 2y ago
[dead]
hacknewslogin 2y ago
Ok I'm really glad you mentioned that. It didn't fully occur to me, and now I appreciate the book a lot more. Except of course for the oversexualization of a 15 year old, and the authors poor attempts at "sexy writing."

sumo89 2y ago

Ready Player One is not a good book. It starts with an interesting premise then devolves in to a competition for how many 80s references it can fit in each sentence.

bwb 2y ago
I liked it, but if you think it had too many references from the 80s, you should check the other book he wrote out of the library. I tried to read it and thought it was a joke at first, as it is 100x more than RP1.

lincon127 2y ago

This list is so generic, so uninspired, that I'd of thought an AI generated it had it not been for the advertisement for the author's own book at the top and bottom of the page... Actually, I'm still not convinced it wasn't generated by an AI.

bwb 2y ago
It is not AI, and the author shared the books he felt revolutionized the genre. You might disagree with him, but let's not be rude and call him AI. Every author we do these with signs an honor statement that they will not use AI for anything on the website (and will be blacklisted if they do). We also screen for this. If you are looking for some outside-the-box Cyberpunk recommendations... The best cyberpunk novels that launched and defined the subgenre https://shepherd.com/best-books/cyberpunk-that-launched-and-defined-the-subgenre https://shepherd.com/best-books/cyberpunk-that-launched-and-... I bet you have not read these :) The best cyberpunk books you won’t be able to put down https://shepherd.com/best-books/cyberpunk-books-you-wont-be-able-to-put-down https://shepherd.com/best-books/cyberpunk-books-you-wont-be-... A bit more of a modern take around the same idea.

atombender 2y ago

For anyone into cyberpunk, I recommend checking out Alfred Bested, who seriously influenced the genre. His two masterpieces, The Stars My Destination and The Demolished Man, could both be called "proto-cyberpunk", but the one that I think comes closest is Extro (1975, also published as The Computer Connection). It's a crazy, fun, ballsy, flawed novel that was panned when it came out, but way ahead of its time.

bwb 2y ago
Nice, I was very happy to see that 5 authors have recommended The Stars My Destination -> https://shepherd.com/search/author/14620 https://shepherd.com/search/author/14620 But nothing for Demolished Man yet. Very cool and I'll check it out :)