It’s summer, which means it’s time to escape to the beach, a cabin in the woods, or even just out to the nearby park for some extra sun, air, and relaxation. Many of us wouldn’t think of heading off on a vacation, near or far, without a book or two in our suitcases (or maybe several hundred on our tablets!)
For the self-professed tech geek who loves to read, we’ve assembled a list of 10 novels that will keep you entertained while satisfying your love of all things tech.
Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline
This novel takes us to the year 2044, where an unpleasant reality can’t hold a candle to a virtual reality called OASIS. Making this virtual space even more enticing are the rich prizes available to those who can unlock the puzzles to find them—and manage to hold on to what they find.
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, by Robin Sloan
Set in modern San Francisco, this novel follows the story of a man who loses his job to the Great Recession and takes a position on the night shift at a peculiar bookstore, where he becomes intrigued by the behavior of the clientele and embarks on a tech-enabled journey to understand why.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette, by Maria Semple
This story looks at the relationship of architect Bernadette Fox and her daughter, Bee, complicated by Bernadette’s severe agoraphobia and eventual disappearance. Bee uses email, office documents, and other correspondence to look for her genius, but flawed, mother.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick
This 1968 classic novel became the inspiration for the geek-revered film Blade Runner. In a post-apocalyptic San Francisco, rogue androids are on the loose and it’s up to bounty hunter Rick Deckard to find them and retire them, by force if necessary.
Wool Omnibus Edition, by Hugh Howey
This book collects all five Wool novellas. Humankind struggles to survive in a world that can no longer support them by moving into underground cities. The few who hope of being able to go outside someday are in danger of being given exactly what they want.
The Circle, by Dave Eggers
This story follows Mae Holland, who is hired by the Circle, her fictional world’s largest search engine and most powerful internet company. It seems like a dream job, but eventually Mae encounters serious questions about the ways in which technology interacts with memory, privacy, and democracy in this fable, drawing parallels to our real world.
Neuromancer, by William Gibson
This thrilling 1984 novel pits a master data-thief against the most powerful business clan in the world, over an orbiting, unimaginably powerful artificial intelligence. The world-within-the-world of Neuromancer launched the cyberpunk generation of novels and is still one of its best.
2312, by Kim Stanley Robinson
The world of 2312 is our own, scaled out to the solar system and forward a few centuries to take a look at what human civilization might be like. This clever novel extrapolates from existing science to speculate on how we might eventually live throughout our solar system, and how some human problems stay the same in spite of technological change.
Arctic Rising, by Tobias S. Buckell
Closer to home, in both space and time, this fictional story is based on real world research and concerns over what might happen if the Arctic ice cap melts, as well as what happens when nations start squabbling over who gets to use newly uncovered resources.
Armored, edited by John Joseph Adams
This anthology is full of stories for those who love giant mecha and power armor. Authors include Alastair Reynolds, Brandon Sanderson, Tanya Huff, Daniel H. Wilson, and more.