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Recommendations based on Halting Stateby Charles Stross
* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans
The Jennifer Morgue
by Charles Stross
An action-packed spy thriller set in a near-future tech world.
Bob Howard, from The Laundry, secret UK agency against evil forces, narrates boarding yacht of Ellis Billington for Gravedust device that talks with dead. Ellis plans to raise Jennifer Morgue, ... (Goodreads)
Glasshouse
by Charles Stross
An exploration of a future world where technology has created a new form of government.
When Robin wakes up in a clinic with most of his memories missing, it doesn’t take him long to discover that someone is trying to kill him. It’s the twenty-seventh century, when interstellar travel ... (Goodreads)
The Atrocity Archives
by Charles Stross
Bob Howard, a computer programmer, becomes a secret agent fighting supernatural threats to the UK. A blend of sci-fi, horror, and spy thriller.
NEVER VOLUNTEER FOR ACTIVE DUTY ...Bob Howard is a low-level techie working for a super-secret government agency. While his colleagues are out saving the world, Bob's under a desk restoring lost ... (Goodreads)
Snow Crash
by Neal Stephenson
A hacker's quest in a futuristic America dealing with a mysterious computer virus.
Hiro Protagonist is a hacker and pizza delivery driver for the Mafia. He meets Y.T. (short for Yours Truly), a young skateboard Kourier ( courier ) who refers to herself in the third person , during ... (Wikipedia)
Cryptonomicon
by Neal Stephenson
A thrilling journey through the past and present, combining tech, history and adventure.
The action takes place in two periods—World War II and the late 1990s, during the Internet boom and Asian financial crisis . In 1942, Lawrence Pritchard Waterhouse, a young United States Navy code ... (Wikipedia)
Neuromancer
by William Gibson
A hacker's journey through a dystopian cyberpunk world, searching for a way to survive.
Henry Dorsett Case is a low-level hustler in the dystopian underworld of Chiba City , Japan. Once a talented computer hacker , Case was caught stealing from his employer. As punishment for his theft, ... (Wikipedia)
The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer
by Neal Stephenson
A young girl's journey of learning and self-discovery, aided by advanced technology.
The protagonist in the story is Nell, a thete (or person without a tribe; equivalent to the lowest working class) living in the Leased Territories, a lowland slum built on the artificial, diamondoid ... (Wikipedia)
Old Man's War
by John Scalzi
Elderly citizens enlist in an interstellar war to save humanity, discovering new strength and purpose.
Old Man's War is about a soldier named John Perry and his exploits in the Colonial Defense Forces (CDF). The first-person narrative follows Perry's military career from CDF recruit to the rank of ... (Wikipedia)
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
by Cory Doctorow
A futuristic adventure exploring the power of technology and the consequences of immortality.
The story is told in first person by Julius, whose old college buddy Dan used to be one of the most popular people in the country (as measured by Whuffie). Julius and girlfriend Lil are working with ... (Wikipedia)
Blindsight
by Peter Watts
A sci-fi tale of a journey to the outer reaches of space and a confrontation with alien life.
In the year 2082, thousands of large, coordinated objects of an unknown origin, dubbed "Fireflies", burn up in the Earth's atmosphere in a precise grid, while momentarily broadcasting across an ... (Wikipedia)
Count Zero
by William Gibson
A thrilling journey of a hacker between two worlds, as he unravels a conspiracy of corporate espionage.
As with later Gibson works, there are multiple story-line threads which eventually intertwine: Thread One : In the southwestern US, Turner, a corporate mercenary soldier , has been hired by former ... (Wikipedia)
Ringworld
by Larry Niven
A sci-fi adventure to an artificial ring-shaped world, full of unexpected challenges.
On planet Earth in 2850 AD , Louis Gridley Wu is celebrating his 200th birthday. Despite his age, Louis is in perfect physical condition due to the longevity drug boosterspice . He meets Nessus , a ... (Wikipedia)
The Player of Games
by Iain M. Banks
A game-player embarks on a journey to win a tournament in a distant world, uncovering secrets along the way.
The Culture - a humanoid/machine symbiotic society - has thrown up many great Game Players. One of the best is Jernau Morat Gurgeh, Player of Games, master of every board, computer and strategy. ... (Goodreads)
The Curse of Chalion
by Lois McMaster Bujold
A man's spiritual journey to heal the kingdom and free himself from a powerful curse.
Cazaril was formerly a noble in the land of Chalion, but was betrayed and sold into slavery. He returns to a regional court where he is hired as tutor to Iselle (second in line for the throne of ... (Wikipedia)
Rainbows End
by Vernor Vinge
A retired professor's adventure in a future society of enhanced technology.
Thanks to advances in medical technology, Robert Gu is slowly recovering from Alzheimer's disease . As his faculties return, Robert (who has always been technophobic ) must adapt to a different ... (Wikipedia)
Burning Chrome
by William Gibson
A collection of sci-fi stories, exploring a dystopian cyberpunk future.
Ten tales, from the computer-enhanced hustlers of Johnny Mnemonic to the technofetishist blues of Burning Chrome . Johnny Mnemonic (1981) The Gernsback Continuum (1981) Fragments of a Hologram Rose ... (Goodreads)
Feersum Endjinn
by Iain M. Banks
In a far future, a dying king's consciousness is trapped in a castle's computer system. Four characters race to save him before his mind is lost forever.
The narrative switches between four main characters. Count Sessine is a high-ranking member of the court who is assassinated, ending his last life. Reborn inside the crypt he comes under repeated ... (Wikipedia)
Nexus
by Ramez Naam
A thrilling tale of hackers, scientists, and criminals, all caught up in the emergence of a revolutionary new technology.
Samantha Cataranes (Sam), an agent for the Emerging Risks Directorate (ERD) of the United States government, arrives undercover at a party looking for Kaden Lane. Kaden is there testing Nexus 5, an ... (Wikipedia)
Stranger in a Strange Land
by Robert A. Heinlein
A human raised by Martians must find his place in a hostile Earth society.
The story focuses on a human raised on Mars and his adaptation to and understanding of humans and their culture. It is set in a post- Third World War United States, where organized religions are ... (Wikipedia)
Consider Phlebas
by Iain M. Banks
A thrilling space opera about a galactic war between two powerful civilizations.
The war raged across the galaxy. Billions had died, billions more were doomed. Moons, planets, the very stars themselves, faced destruction, cold-blooded, brutal, and worse, random. The Idirans ... (Goodreads)
A Fire Upon the Deep
by Vernor Vinge
An interstellar adventure of exploration, uncovering a powerful and mysterious force.
An expedition from Straumli Realm, an ambitious young human civilization in the high Beyond, investigates a five-billion-year-old data archive in the low Transcend that offers the possibility of ... (Wikipedia)
Nation
by Terry Pratchett
A story of courage and determination, as an island nation rebuilds its culture and identity after a devastating tsunami.
Alone on a desert island — everything and everyone he knows and loves has been washed away in a storm — Mau is the last surviving member of his nation. He’s completely alone — or so he thinks until ... (Goodreads)
Paladin of Souls
by Lois McMaster Bujold
A fantasy tale of a woman facing her own dark past to save her kingdom.
In a land threatened by treacherous war and beset by demons, royal dowager Ista, released from the curse of madness and manipulated by an untrustworthy god, is plunged into a desperate struggle to ... (Goodreads)
House of Chains
by Steven Erikson
Epic fantasy featuring an intricate storyline and complex characters, set in a sprawling world of war and magic.
House of Chains takes place immediately after the events of, Deadhouse Gates, on the subcontinent of Seven Cities . The Chain of Dogs - the evacuation of 50,000 Malazan civilians across 1,500 miles ... (Wikipedia)
On Basilisk Station
by David Weber
Space battles and a woman's struggle to prove her worth as a military commander.
Sidney Harris , the Hereditary President of the People's Republic of Haven, discusses the economic and military situation with his cabinet. Secretary of the Economy Walter Frankel presents the latest ... (Wikipedia)
Little Brother
by Cory Doctorow
A teen tech genius fights against a dystopian government by using his skills to create a revolution.
Marcus Yallow is a 17-year-old hacker /techno whiz from San Francisco . One day Marcus and his best friend Darryl play truant from school to play an Alternate Reality Game . A terrorist attack is ... (Wikipedia)
The Forever War
by Joe Haldeman
A soldier's story of the horror of war and its consequences in the far future.
The monumental Hugo and Nebula award winning SF classic— Featuring a new introduction by John Scalzi,The Earth's leaders have drawn a line in the interstellar sand—despite the fact that the fierce ... (Barnes & Noble)
White Night
by Jim Butcher
Wizard private investigator Harry Dresden investigates a magical murder in Chicago.
A year after the events in, Proven Guilty, , Dresden is called by Murphy to the scene of an apparent suicide, and senses the victim is a magical practitioner. After investigating another victim, ... (Wikipedia)
The Drowned Cities
by Paolo Bacigalupi
In a post-apocalyptic world, two orphaned children struggle to survive amidst war and violence.
Soldier boys emerged from the darkness. Guns gleamed dully. Bullet bandoliers and scars draped their bare chests. Ugly brands scored their faces. She knew why these soldier boys had come. She knew ... (Barnes & Noble)
Kill Decision
by Daniel Suarez
A thrilling techno-thriller about autonomous drones and the race to control them. Fast-paced and action-packed.
The book opens with a video feed from predator drones in Karbala , Iraq, where it is observed that an unmarked drone with American colors fires a missile on the dense crowd during a religious ... (Wikipedia)
