# Recommend some good cyberpunk novels? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 21, 2002, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-cyberpunk-novels/124927 "2002-08-21T14:48:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zanshin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e274bd/32.png) [@Zanshin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zanshin)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-cyberpunk-novels/124927/1 "2002-08-21T14:48:30Z")
I’ve been on a big cyberpunk kick lately, just having reread all the Neal Stephenson I own (_Snow Crash_ has got to be my favorite cyberpunk novel of all time). I’ve already read a lot of Bruce Sterling’s stuff and adored _Hardwired_ (Walter Jon Williams, IIRC), and am looking for some new reading material. Can you Dopers give me some recommendations for good cyberpunk? ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-cyberpunk-novels/124927/2 "2002-08-21T14:57:38Z")
Anything by William Gibson. ---
**Author:** ![Siddhartha\_Vicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@Siddhartha\_Vicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siddhartha_Vicious)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-cyberpunk-novels/124927/3 "2002-08-21T15:41:24Z")
Just chiming in to agree with **World Eater**. Check out _Neuromancer_ by Gibson. It’s hard to believe that it was written in the '80’s. ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-cyberpunk-novels/124927/4 "2002-08-21T15:58:18Z")
Neuromancer by William Gibson is the best. Anything by Rudy Rucker is the worst. ---
**Author:** ![Zanshin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e274bd/32.png) [@Zanshin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zanshin)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-cyberpunk-novels/124927/5 "2002-08-21T16:02:32Z")
I like some of Gibson’s stuff – I’ve read _Neuromancer_ and _Burning Chrome_ and loved them both, but some of his other books (I’m thinking of _Idoru_) have left me cold. ---
**Author:** ![Fibonacci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Fibonacci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibonacci)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-cyberpunk-novels/124927/6 "2002-08-21T16:20:36Z")
It’s been a while, but I did go through quite a cyberpunk period. Here’s some names I remember reading and enjoying: Definitely William Gibson. The late George Alec Effinger’s stuff (really entertaining!) Another vote for Bruce Sterling and Walter Jon Williams. K.W. Jeter’s “Dr. Adder” series. Richard Khadrey’s “Metrophage”. John Shirley. Philip K. Dick. Pat Murphy’s “The City, Not Long After”. W.T. Quick. Robert C. Williams. I’m sure there are others, but my books are in storage now. At any rate, have a great time exploring. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-cyberpunk-novels/124927/7 "2002-08-21T16:28:15Z")
Althought its not a novel, theres an old role playing game called Cyberpunk. The manual for the game was a really good read, with lots of art and descriptions. I would certainly check it out. ---
**Author:** ![Kaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/fbc32d/32.png) [@Kaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaf)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-cyberpunk-novels/124927/8 "2002-08-21T17:10:07Z")
**Blood Music** by Greg Bear is sometimes considered cyberpunk and sometimes not. Great read though. ---
**Author:** ![skot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@skot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skot)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-cyberpunk-novels/124927/9 "2002-08-21T17:31:15Z")
You’ve got to read anything/all **Jon Courtney Grimwood** …very cool! To date, I’ve read **re-Mix** , **redRobe** , **Lucifer’s Dragon** , all amazing. I’m trying to find **neo-Addix** , but not having any luck. I agree **Snowcrash** is one of the best ever. I’m in the middle of **The Diamond Age** and liking it… ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-cyberpunk-novels/124927/10 "2002-08-21T19:10:26Z")
For short stories, check out the **Mirrorshades** anthology edited by Bruce Sterling. ---
**Author:** ![Melon\_Farmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Melon\_Farmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melon_Farmer)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-cyberpunk-novels/124927/11 "2002-08-21T19:42:16Z")
**Zanshin** I’m right there with you on Idoru, but if you read and enjoyed Neuromancer, check out Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive. They form a trilogy, and they are all excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Zanshin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e274bd/32.png) [@Zanshin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zanshin)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-cyberpunk-novels/124927/12 "2002-08-21T19:44:55Z")
Y’all are the best. Thanks for the recommendations. (And **World Eater** , I’ve never played Cyberpunk but I was a big Shadowrun fan back in the day. As soon as d20 Modern comes out I’ll be working up a homebrewed d20 Shadowrun system.) ---
**Author:** ![TigoleBitties](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cab0a1/32.png) [@TigoleBitties](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TigoleBitties)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-cyberpunk-novels/124927/13 "2002-08-21T20:35:33Z")
If you like good shadowrun stories may I suggest Shapcano’s Shadowrun Stories [http://www.shapcano.com/](http://www.shapcano.com/) Shapcano’s stories are some of the best I have read and he has a lot of talented writers submitting to him. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-cyberpunk-novels/124927/14 "2002-08-21T21:21:43Z")
No mention of Pat Cadigan? Is she any good? I tried to read _Synners_ once and couldn’t get into it. And I’ve sometimes heard Lucius Shepard’s work being called cyberpunk. He’s certainly interesting enough to look into anyway.