If you are into the cyberpunk genre, chances are a few post cyberpunk books will take your venture further and expand your horizons a little. Simply put, this genre takes over from where cyberpunk stopped. From some points of view, cyberpunk is a dark version of science fiction. Well, post cyberpunk clears out some of the pessimism and brings in a more idealistic idea. All in all, here are some of the best books in this genre.
Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson
Hiro is a pizza delivery man for CosoNostra Pizza. In the Metaverse, he has a completely different role though – he is a prince with incredible warring capabilities. There are two parallel universes with completely different purposes.
A new computer virus threatens his worlds. It is so powerful that it strikes down hackers all over the world. He has to solve the mystery in a dark world, but also figure out who is behind the deadly virus that ruins people.
Eventually, Hiro finds out about a virtual villain who wants to take the world over and bring the infocalypse. Bizarre at times, Snow Crash is a challenging story that will outrage your mind at times – will the Hiro manage to do it after all?
Altered Carbon, by Richard Morgan
The action takes place in the future – about four centuries away. The humankind has managed to find a different civilization on Mars over multiple interstellar trips. Colonies are now in touch through voyages from one planet to another.
People are no longer born like in the past. Instead, the human consciousness is digitalized and can be downloaded into various bodies. This is how new people are formed. But then, there are a few things that have not changed yet.
Takeshi was murdered, but his consciousness was downloaded into a different body – a young thug who is addicted to nicotine. He ends up in contact with a billionaire for a contract, but he also wants to find out who killed him. All these things lead to a major conspiracy…
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, by Cory Doctorow
At about 100 years old, Jules has achieved all his dreams. He has seen the world finding a cure for death, learned more languages and even managed to move into Disney World. He has everything he wanted, but life has something else in store for him.
Disney World is gone, but Jules and a few other enthusiasts have managed to upgrade all the attractions with the latest technological improvements, only to keep them running. For everyone involved, it is a quiet and peaceful life.
But then, this little community is under attack. A group has entered the Hall of the Presidents and gives visitors immersive brain interfaces of what presidents were like. Things get even worse, as Jules gets killed. It is only his fourth death though, but he wants to sort the attack out.
Halting State, by Charles Stross
Sergeant Sue Smith is called in for a new case. A bank robbery has taken place and affected a startup company that has just been listed on the exchange market. However, the crime seems to be a bit odd and not really suitable for Sue.
This robbery has serious consequences though because it took place in the virtual land of Avalon Four. Robberies are virtually impossible in this environment. If the world finds out about it, the whole system will collapse.
Sue has to dig deep and while she is not paying too much attention to the case, the more she finds out, the bigger the case becomes. It seems that there is more at stake than such some financial security, so big names get involved as well.
Vurt, by Jeff Noon
Vurt is intriguing, confusing and exciting at the same time. It sounds difficult to comprehend this book, but as you dig deeper, it will hook you in. Practically, it represents an incursion into a complete stranger’s mind.
Discover dark streets covered in rain, gangs and one of the most powerful drugs in the world. However, the so-called Vurt feathers are not for everyone – the user must be extremely careful. Scribble is not listening to these unwritten rules though.
He needs to find his love. To get there, he finds out about more characters with influence in the area. He needs to reach to the Curious Yellow, the most important Vurt feather. Scribble must be ready to leave everything behind, including his reality.
The Quantum Thief, by Hannu Rajaniemi
This is the first book in the Jean le Flambeur series. Jean wakes up in the morning and needs to kill himself before his other self finds him. Jean is rescued though and taken to a unique and intriguing world on Mars.
Meanwhile, Isidore is an investigator who needs to check up on murder. He ends up with one suspect on his list – someone named le Flambeur. In his numerous lives, Jean has been everything – artist, thief and so on. His origins are unknown, but his action made him famous. He is now ready to rediscover himself and find the truth.
The Quantum Thief is the type of book that will challenge your brain and make you come up with all kinds of scenarios. It is based on a reality that you may not be familiar with, but it can also become a story fueled by human motives – such as betrayal, love and revenge.
Conclusion
Bottom line, the post-cyberpunk list can definitely go further than that, but the above-mentioned titles will give you some good hints about what to expect from this genre. The action in any of these books is addictive and the distorted reality makes the difference in terms of mystery and drama.
Get ready to experience a reality that you are not familiar with. It may intrigue you and it might be difficult to understand at first. But as you dig deeper into the story, you will love the outcome and feelings coming with it.