# Great novels that tackle the internet / social media etc.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-novels-that-tackle-the-internet-social-media-etc/695597>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 15, 2014, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-novels-that-tackle-the-internet-social-media-etc/695597 "2014-08-15T11:34:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-novels-that-tackle-the-internet-social-media-etc/695597/1 "2014-08-15T11:34:41Z")

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Trying to think of quality writers that have taken on our modern information age as an explicit theme of a book, and been successful with it.

I’m looking for something written recently, so not, for example, a visionary SF book of the past. Something that takes the internet as it is now and builds an insightful novel around it (not simply a conventional story set against a high-tech backdrop). Good writing a must - so not just a collection of cool ideas put together in a serviceable fashion, but something that really sings as a piece of literature.

Is that book out there? Love to hear any recommendations.

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**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-novels-that-tackle-the-internet-social-media-etc/695597/2 "2014-08-15T14:56:39Z")

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“The Circle” by David Eggers.

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**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-novels-that-tackle-the-internet-social-media-etc/695597/3 "2014-08-15T15:44:12Z")

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_The Sluts_ by Dennis Cooper.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-novels-that-tackle-the-internet-social-media-etc/695597/4 "2014-08-15T15:52:44Z")

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John Barth’s **Coming Soon!!!** is a discussion about the art of the novel in the age of the Internet. Like all Barth, it’s extremely complex, very funny, and is filled with insights that could only come from him.

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**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-novels-that-tackle-the-internet-social-media-etc/695597/5 "2014-08-15T16:02:56Z")

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**Cryptonomicon** by Stevenson, though that might be dated enough now that it’s only borderline “contemporary”.

**Readme** by the same author is more recent, but sadly wasn’t nearly as good.