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Top Cyberpunk Sci-Fi Novels
15
items I’ve been obsessed with cyberpunk ever since I first watched Blade Runner. The mash-up of filthy neon cities, mega corporations, and rebellion just hits different. Playing more recent Cyberpunk genre games only added fuel to the fire.
I've collected here the best of what I could get my hands on in the genre, from the classics that shaped it to the wild new takes that are pushing it into the future. This list includes all my top recs: iconic must-reads like Neuromancer and Snow Cra...
I've collected here the best of what I could get my hands on in the genre, from the classics that shaped it to the wild new takes that are pushing it into the future. This list includes all my top recs: iconic must-reads like Neuromancer and Snow Cra...
Sections
3
Foundations of the Genre
Modern Takes on Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk With a Twist
Foundations of the Genre
“Where the neon-drenched future began.” These iconic novels shaped the cyberpunk genre. Expect dystopias, hackers, and a dark, digital edge.
The ultimate cyberpunk classic, this novel introduced the Matrix, cyberspace, and the archetypal hacker antihero. Essential reading for fans of AI, cybernetics, and gritty future noir.
Neuromancer - William Gibson
Blending satire with future-tech, this fast-paced novel is packed with metaverse exploration, sword-wielding hackers, and corporate chaos. A defining work of post-cyberpunk.
Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson
The inspiration for Blade Runner, this philosophical cyberpunk story wrestles with AI ethics, identity, and post-apocalyptic consumerism.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Phillip K. Dick
The second entry in Gibson’s Sprawl trilogy, it explores corporate warfare, AI art, and digital mysticism. A must for readers deepening their cyberpunk roots.
Count Zero - William Gibson
Featuring cybernetic mercenaries and high-speed, tech-enhanced warfare, this novel helped solidify the action-oriented side of the genre.
Hardwired - Walter Jon Williams
Modern Takes on Cyberpunk
“New circuitry, same paranoia.” Contemporary authors update the cyberpunk blueprint with diverse voices and fresh dystopias that hit even closer to home.
A near-future thriller blending biopunk with IP piracy, tackling big questions about free will and robot-human relationships in a tech-dominated society.
Autonomous - Annalee Newitz
A sharp political cyberpunk thriller exploring micro-democracies, data manipulation, and information warfare. Think Black Mirror with global stakes.
Infomocracy - Malka Older
A techno-thriller grounded in real-world research on AI, robotics, and surveillance. Reads like a thought experiment wrapped in a Hollywood script.
Burn-In - P.W. Singer & August Cole
A tech startup thriller told through emails, texts, and transcripts, where time travel and predictive tech collide with ego and ethics.
The Future Is Yours - Dan Frey
A noir-tinged cyberpunk tale set on an oil rig city with bio-enhanced bodyguards, corporate intrigue, and eerie future tech.
Company Town - Madeline Ashby
Cyberpunk With a Twist
“Plug in and expect the unexpected.” These genre-bending reads fuse cyberpunk with noir, horror, fantasy, and political thrillers for a glitchy ride off the beaten path.
Cyberpunk noir with body-swapping tech, AI-controlled hotels, and murder mysteries in a deeply cynical future. Basis for the Netflix adaptation.
Altered Carbon - Richard K. Morgan
Set in a biopunk future ravaged by environmental collapse and genetic manipulation, WIndup Girl mixes cyberpunk style with eco-thriller substance.
The Windup Girl - Paolo Bacigalupi
A rich blend of climate fiction, nanotech politics, and queer futurism set in a floating Arctic city—part Blade Runner, part Waterworld.
Blackfish City - Sam J. Miller
A high-concept, heist-driven cyberpunk novel that merges quantum computing, post-human societies, and digital consciousness.
The Quantum Thief - Hannu Rajaniemi
A queer, hacker-centric classic cyberpunk revival set in a richly textured net-space with a strong dose of counterculture flair.
Trouble and Her Friends - Melissa Scott