Need Recommendations Re. Cyberpunk?

Danost · 04-06-2015, 10:28 AM

So a friend of mine recently turned me on to Shadowrun- which is, for those of you who haven't run into this, a tabletop game about a magic/cyberpunk universe. Naturally, I got into it incredibly well. My friend then recommended three books supposedly in the cyberpunk genre. As I work stacking boxes for a grocery store I need something to listen to, and have been consuming audiobooks at an incredible rate, I grabbed his solutions and tried 'em out. Here's what happened:

Neuromancer: Not bad! The ending was a pretty unfulfilling, but not bad.

Snow Crash: Guh. The writing was awkward (There's moments where characters are in two places at the same time somehow, and other problems), the characters felt one dimensional, and I gave up halfway through when the fifteen gear old girl bonked some guy old enough to be her father.

A Scanner Darkly: Gave up relatively quickly. If I wanted to hear people talk about drugs, how to get more drugs, how they need drugs and what they'll do with drugs- as well as crazy conspiracy junk- I'd listen to my coworkers.

Anyone got any other suggestions? I'm dying here!

Dazrin · 04-06-2015, 11:43 AM

One book that I really enjoyed and you should consider is Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I haven't listened to the audio book, but it was narrated by Wil Wheaton which is a huge plus for me since anyone who follows him knows he loves this type of work and he will put everything he has into getting it right.

Another one which some people have listed as cyberpunk that I enjoyed was Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. I enjoyed it much more than Snow Crash, although I am not sure I would classify it as cyberpunk myself. It is also LONG (~1200 pages) which should help keep you busy for a while.

Danost · 04-06-2015, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dazrin

One book that I really enjoyed and you should consider is Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I haven't listened to the audio book, but it was narrated by Wil Wheaton which is a huge plus for me since anyone who follows him knows he loves this type of work and he will put everything he has into getting it right.

Another one which some people have listed as cyberpunk that I enjoyed was Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. I enjoyed it much more than Snow Crash, although I am not sure I would classify it as cyberpunk myself. It is also LONG (~1200 pages) which should help keep you busy for a while.

Definitely be giving those a look!

WillAdams · 04-06-2015, 12:19 PM

Pre-cyberpunk: Roger Zelazny's _Damnation Alley_

In the same vein as a successor: Walter Jon Williams' _Hardwired_ (there are other books which follow --- still need to track down a copy of the 3rd _Voice of the Whirlwind_ is haunting)

Danost · 04-06-2015, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillAdams

Pre-cyberpunk: Roger Zelazny's _Damnation Alley_

In the same vein as a successor: Walter Jon Williams' _Hardwired_ (there are other books which follow --- still need to track down a copy of the 3rd _Voice of the Whirlwind_ is haunting)

... Define haunting?

jgaiser · 04-06-2015, 12:48 PM

Richard K. Morgan's Takeshi Kovacs series .. Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, Woken Furies.

WillAdams · 04-06-2015, 01:15 PM

(re: Voice of the Whirlwind)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danost

... Define haunting?

Haunting probably not the best choice of word --- thought-provoking. Haunts me, 'cause I'm kind of wishing for a second chance, to fix everything in my life, and the opportunity to be a Zen saint w/ no Karmic debt.

MickeyC · 04-06-2015, 05:35 PM

I likewise enjoyed Ready Player One and recommend it.

Rizla · 04-06-2015, 10:12 PM

William Gibson is the master. Count Zero. Kinda like Neuromancer, but you know what's going on, kind of.

Also The Difference Engine, but that's steampunk.

bgalbrecht · 04-06-2015, 11:38 PM

I liked Ramez Naam's Nexus and Crux novels. He was up for the Campbell award in 2013 & 2014. They're about a guy that figures out how to take injected nanomachines and turn them into something that is akin to telepathy or empathy (not sure whether the nanomachines would be able to make it past the blood barrier, but this is SF after all). It's possible that people can use this technology to control other people, and the US government either wants to shut it down or control it. The (final? next?) book in the series is out in May.

Penforhire · 04-07-2015, 01:33 PM

Most of the rest of Gibson's are worth a look. His Blue Ant stuff felt tedious after the 2nd or 3rd novel but still stylish.

I liked Charlie Stross' Accelerando and Glasshouse. Also Vernor Vinge's True Names and The Cookie Monster.

Phogg · 04-07-2015, 06:56 PM

Try George Alec Effinger 's When Gravity Fails series.

Geralt · 04-18-2015, 04:14 AM

These two came out this year. I've read Tregillis book, thought it was awesome. Bear's book is on my immediate tbr list.

Geralt · 04-18-2015, 04:15 AM

Lol sorry. Just saw you are asking for cyberpunk not steampunk! Apologies.

tobeabletopost · 05-08-2015, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillAdams

Pre-cyberpunk: Roger Zelazny's _Damnation Alley_

In the same vein as a successor: Walter Jon Williams' _Hardwired_ (there are other books which follow --- still need to track down a copy of the 3rd _Voice of the Whirlwind_ is haunting)

Look on Smashwords for Walter Jon Williams, he's released quite a lot through them. Both "Voice of the Whirlwind" and "Hardwired" are there, it looks like he's even re-released Hardwired in episodic format, with the first installment available for free.

04-06-2015, 10:28 AM	#1
Danost Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: California, sadly. Device: Kindle Touch	Need Recommendations Re. Cyberpunk? So a friend of mine recently turned me on to Shadowrun- which is, for those of you who haven't run into this, a tabletop game about a magic/cyberpunk universe. Naturally, I got into it incredibly well. My friend then recommended three books supposedly in the cyberpunk genre. As I work stacking boxes for a grocery store I need something to listen to, and have been consuming audiobooks at an incredible rate, I grabbed his solutions and tried 'em out. Here's what happened: Neuromancer: Not bad! The ending was a pretty unfulfilling, but not bad. Snow Crash: Guh. The writing was awkward (There's moments where characters are in two places at the same time somehow, and other problems), the characters felt one dimensional, and I gave up halfway through when the fifteen gear old girl bonked some guy old enough to be her father. A Scanner Darkly: Gave up relatively quickly. If I wanted to hear people talk about drugs, how to get more drugs, how they need drugs and what they'll do with drugs- as well as crazy conspiracy junk- I'd listen to my coworkers. Anyone got any other suggestions? I'm dying here!

04-06-2015, 11:38 PM	#10
bgalbrecht Wizard Posts: 1,806 Karma: 13399999 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: US Device: Nook Simple Touch, Kobo Glo HD, Kobo Clara HD, Kindle 4	I liked Ramez Naam's Nexus and Crux novels. He was up for the Campbell award in 2013 & 2014. They're about a guy that figures out how to take injected nanomachines and turn them into something that is akin to telepathy or empathy (not sure whether the nanomachines would be able to make it past the blood barrier, but this is SF after all). It's possible that people can use this technology to control other people, and the US government either wants to shut it down or control it. The (final? next?) book in the series is out in May. Last edited by bgalbrecht; 04-06-2015 at 11:39 PM. Reason: mistyped Crux

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04-06-2015, 11:43 AM	#2
Dazrin Wizard Posts: 2,720 Karma: 75825105 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: PDXish Device: Kindle Voyage, various Android devices	One book that I really enjoyed and you should consider is Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I haven't listened to the audio book, but it was narrated by Wil Wheaton which is a huge plus for me since anyone who follows him knows he loves this type of work and he will put everything he has into getting it right. Another one which some people have listed as cyberpunk that I enjoyed was Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. I enjoyed it much more than Snow Crash, although I am not sure I would classify it as cyberpunk myself. It is also LONG (~1200 pages) which should help keep you busy for a while.

04-06-2015, 12:19 PM	#4
WillAdams Wizard Posts: 1,258 Karma: 3439432 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (300ppi), Samsung Galaxy Book 12	Pre-cyberpunk: Roger Zelazny's _Damnation Alley_ In the same vein as a successor: Walter Jon Williams' _Hardwired_ (there are other books which follow --- still need to track down a copy of the 3rd _Voice of the Whirlwind_ is haunting)

04-06-2015, 12:48 PM	#6
jgaiser Omnivorous Posts: 3,283 Karma: 27978909 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rural NW Oregon Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 3, KPW1	Richard K. Morgan's Takeshi Kovacs series .. Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, Woken Furies.

04-06-2015, 05:35 PM	#8
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,731 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	I likewise enjoyed Ready Player One and recommend it.

04-06-2015, 10:12 PM	#9
Rizla Member Retired Posts: 3,183 Karma: 11721895 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Nook STR (rooted) & Sony T2	William Gibson is the master. Count Zero. Kinda like Neuromancer, but you know what's going on, kind of. Also The Difference Engine, but that's steampunk.

04-07-2015, 01:33 PM	#11
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	Most of the rest of Gibson's are worth a look. His Blue Ant stuff felt tedious after the 2nd or 3rd novel but still stylish. I liked Charlie Stross' Accelerando and Glasshouse. Also Vernor Vinge's True Names and The Cookie Monster.

04-07-2015, 06:56 PM	#12
Phogg PHD in Horribleness Posts: 2,320 Karma: 23599604 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: In the ironbound section, near avenue L Device: Just a whole bunch. I guess I am a collector now.	Try George Alec Effinger 's When Gravity Fails series.

04-18-2015, 04:14 AM	#13
Geralt Witcher Posts: 933 Karma: 7321117 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Swamp. Slaying Drowners. Device: Kindle PW2	These two came out this year. I've read Tregillis book, thought it was awesome. Bear's book is on my immediate tbr list.

04-18-2015, 04:15 AM	#14
Geralt Witcher Posts: 933 Karma: 7321117 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Swamp. Slaying Drowners. Device: Kindle PW2	Lol sorry. Just saw you are asking for cyberpunk not steampunk! Apologies.