Cyberpunk Book Club

Pop Culture & Media
1

Hi all!

My name is Fraser and I do a semi-weekly review on my G+ that is focused on consuming cyberpunk. I read academia on the subject, both cyberpunk and post-cyberpunk. And I consume lots of media but I really would like to consume more literature.

Typically, I’m pretty into post-cyberpunk because…well it just gets a lot better after more people contributed to it but I am interested in reading classics and have a massive backlog of titles to consume now. I’ve also been slacking.

What I’m wondering is this: is anyone interested in a monthly book club focused on the same thing? I’d like to make sure I’m reading at least one a month, and we could all choose a book and chat about it. I think it’s pretty valuable having the opinions of multiple people when I’m forming my thoughts.

I take this material and make sure the tabletop roleplaying games I’m designing have the components of the genre, as well as incorporate the character archetypes, if they’re interesting. I also just get a lot of joy from delving into this genre.

Let me know if you’re interested, I think this could be really fun, thanks!

As of now, and you should feel free to correct me if I am wrong on this, we are mostly on board with an anthology or some other fundamental first wave text. I think these would make good suggestions right now, and as a “primer” for cyberpunk the anthology would probably be best. Here are links to each: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Burning Chrome, Neuromancer, and Cyberpunk: Stories of Hardware, Software, Wetware, Evolution, and Revolution.

  • Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (pre-cyberpunk inspired CP authors to write CP)
  • Burning Chrome (pre-Neuromancer Sprawl book 0)
  • Neuromancer (1st wave foundation of cyberpunk Sprawl book 1)
  • Cyberpunk: Stories of Hardware, Software, Wetware, Evolution, and Revolution (collected short fiction of many authors which contributed to CP)

0 voters

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Good reads topic discussion for the first book is here.

Find month two poll below in comments

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I’ve really only read Neuromancer, Accelerando, and Snow Crash (and Transmetropolitan, if you want to count comics… is that even cyberpunk? ), and would definitely be more interested in getting into the genre more. Having a book club type thing would definitely be helpful for giving me a push to read more too :slight_smile:

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I’ve been wanting to read more cyberpunk literature so I’m definitely interested

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i finally signed up for the forums for this, so yes. I’ve heard the netrunner novels are also pretty solid, if you’re looking at less serious/more pulpy stuff.

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I’m a filthy millennial who rarely reads a book, so I’d love some kind of social guilt network into making me read cool shit.

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I would be in, and interested to hear what your concept of post-cyberpunk covers. It would be cool to go back and forth between classics and newer stuff if possible.

To suggest a title, instead of going right at the heart with something like Neuromancer or Snow Crash, it may be good to start with a survey of early formative cyberpunk like Mirrorshades.

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Definitely into this idea!

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Sure (and this is so I’ve got 15 characters)

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Count me in! Always wanted to read more cyberpunk past what considered the classics. Also, I’m really interested in reading some good academic writing on the subject, but do not know where to start with that. So, yeah, I’m in.

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I would be into doing this/chatting about stuff too!

I also like the idea of Mirrorshades as a starter, @largeboss. I haven’t read it in quite a few years, but it’s got a lot of cool stories and it definitely makes it clear that cyberpunk was weirder than it seemed to be, right from the start. Although I’d be into most things I think!

I think I’ve also still got a store of academic articles on and around cyberpunk from when I was in college, so maybe I can sift through some and find any that are relevant to whatever we decide to read and [redacted].

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Cool! I’m glad a couple people are interested. I should also have articulated a couple things.

  1. I think it’s important it be inclusive as possible, so we should consider price and if something is available in print/kindle still. Lots of 1st wave stuff is not, but is pretty cheap used.

  2. I really like the idea of bouncing back and forth between 1st wave contributions to more current stuff. I am especially excited about perhaps choosing writers that deserve some more spotlight on their work and we might help support them. Immediately Rosewater by Tade Thompson comes to mind, it’s an amazing piece of post-cyberpunk that came out early this year and I think well worth supporting.

  3. Post-cyberpunk is defined in two ways. In academia it’s something struggling against the confines of the genre. Snow Crash is probably the first post-cyberpunk book as it plays within the genre to say something about it and subverts some “traditional” tropes. In another sense it’s simply everything classified after the “death” of cyberpunk, around the time Synners came out.

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I’m in. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help!

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The problem with mirrorshades is I believe it is not available digitally and only available in print, and it is quite expensive. We should make sure whomever wants to join has the opportunity to get at the fiction.

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I’m not aware of the reference? :slight_smile:

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Just wanted to say I’d also be interested in this. I’ve read a couple cyberpunk books but always interested in reading more, and reading more in general.

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17

One possible solution for choosing books each month might be to put up a few books for the Book Club to vote on every month?

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Posts on the forums have to have a minimum of 15 characters.

To respond to the topic itself, I’d be interested in this book club for sure. I need an excuse to start reading books again, and considering I’m using my camping trip this week to finally pick up Neuromancer, this book club idea seems to have arrived at the perfect time for me.

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19

I love that idea. I think for the selections we should just also keep in mind accessibility of the titles as well. I don’t want to cut anyone out because of cost.

We could use some voting site and have nominations, for sure!

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100% agree that accessibility is key. I think the forums can do polls (click the gear next to the smiley face when you’re posting and there should be a “Build Poll” option).

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21

That is a very good point!

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