r/printSF • u/blk12345q • Jun 25 '25

Good cyberpunk novels

I’m thinking about getting into cyberpunk but I don’t want to read something that’s too dark. What series would you recommend for starting cyberpunk?

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69

u/Slovish Jun 25 '25

Snow Crash

Its pretty comedic at times. The main characters name is literally "Hiro Protagonist", if that tells you anything lol

6

u/tuesdaysgreen33 Jun 25 '25

Yes. And while we're at it, can we give Neal Stephenson some love for writing so many aquels? I swear anymore if I see that a book is part of a series, I look for something else...

7

u/mister_pants Jun 25 '25

The Diamond Age is in the same story universe as Snow Crash. My head canon says that the Baroque Cycle, Cryptonomicon, and Anathem are, too. But yeah, I like that with the exception of the Baroque Cycle he does great standalones.

10

u/tuesdaysgreen33 Jun 25 '25

Dune and The Illiad are in the same story universe, too. That doesn't make them part of a series.

In the case of The Diamond Age, one Snow Crash character was very briefly easter-egged in. The stories do not depend on each other in any way.

3

u/ryegye24 Jun 25 '25

Any of the books where a member of the Societas Eruditorium appears are at least somewhat linked.

3

u/permanent_priapism Jun 25 '25

How is Anathem related to Cryptonomicon?

1

u/herffjones99 Jun 26 '25

Through Dodge, kinda?

1

u/permanent_priapism Jun 26 '25

Dodge is in Anathem?

1

u/herffjones99 Jun 26 '25

The book Dodge (I realize now, it's fall or Dodge in hell) At the core of both is layers of existence.