Top 20 Geek Books to Read - Part 2
Stop for a moment and read a book!
Long autumn and winter evenings are great time to start reading some great books. Put aside Harry Potter, Vampire Diaries, love stories and other stuff and try something more serious. Well, I am not sure about the seriousness, but this list present you top 10 geek books to read. They are interesting, they are strange, they are geeky, but you will find much enjoyment while reading. I made this list firstly for myself. I know that the books mentioned in this list are great. I have read some of them, but I will be glad to read them again. While other ones are waiting for me to be read. I will be glad if you will join me in this geeky reading marathon.
8. Dune by Frank Herbert (1965)
Dune is a great science fiction novel by Frank Herbert. This novel was published in 1965 and has won Hugo and Nebula awards. Dune is one of the best selling science fiction novels in the world. It was the first book that started the Dune saga which is well known all around the world.
The world of dune is interstellar empire. Noble houses control the dynasties of all the planets in the whole empire. The story begins when House of Atreides accepts to control desert planet Arrakis. Arrakis is a unique planet. It is the only source of "spice", which is known as the most important and valuable substatnce in the universe. The novel reveals difficult and complex system of empire. Politics, religion and technology are mixed up with human emotions and desire to keep control of Arrakis.
7. I, Robot
by Isaac Asimov (1950)
I, Robot is a great collection of science fiction novels written by Isaac Asimov. The book contains nine short stories, that originally were published in science fiction magazines in the USA. The stories are connected together because they are told by the same personage, Dr. Susan Calvin. These fiction stories explores difficult problems such as the interaction of humans and robots. The aspects of morality of this interaction are deeply developed.
The stories are told by Dr. Susan Calvin, robopsychologist in the leading company that is leading in robot manufacturing. She tells the principles of robopsychology, introduces the famous Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics.
This collection is great because reveals different aspects of human and machine interactions. The collection is titled the same as a short story "I, Robot" by Eando Binder, but these to works are not connected.
6. Neuromancer
by William Gibson (1984)
Cyberpunk is popular term in our days. The Neuromancer by William Gibson bring this term to popularity. This book must be definitely read by those, who want to feel the real atmosphere of cyberpunk. Computers, hackers, virtual reality and other terms are quite common for us, but in the year when the book was published, it was quite a new attitude to everything. Neuromancer tells a story about talented hacker Dorsett Case, who lives in dystopian underworld of Chiba City in Japan. Case is punished and he is unable to connect to brain-computer interface and virtual space. The cure is offered to him in exchange to his services as a hacker. And here the story begins. The book is quite confusing. Sometimes it seems that it is to difficult to read because of fragmentation of dates and places but at the end these fragments leads to final understanding of the whole idea.
Definitely worth reading.
Neuromancer on Amazon
Do you like reading?
Reading is a great hobby. A good book can help to relax in many situation. In many cases, good books explore great topics and ideas. So, I would like to know if you like reading or you would rather prefer watching some movies.
Do you like reading books or you rather prefer watching movies?
Top 5 Geek Books!
5. Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!
by Richard Feynman (1985)
Richard Feynman was well known physicist and Nobel Prize winner. The book 'Surely, You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!' is a great collection of his memoirs. This book covers various episodes of his life. Richard Feynman had a very rich life. He had interest in many field, but the physics, off course was his passion. In this book some really unexpected sides of Richard Feynman can be found. His fascination with safe-cracking, studying various languages, participating in discussion groups with people, who share completely different interests, such as philosophy or biology. Also he had ventures into samba or art. The memories from such episodes are light-minded, but there are some, which are serious. He had very serious experience while working on Manhattan Project. Also, memories from family tragedy when his wife had died are covered. Richard Feynman had quite strict and critical opinion on various events and theories. So, this collection of memoirs is a great survey of Feynman's life. It should be interesting not only to the Physics lovers.
Image credit: Wikipedia
Surely, you're joking, Mr. Feynman! on Amazon
4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
by Philip K. Dick
The book tells a story about bounty hunter Rick Deckard who hunts over the androids. The action takes place in 2021. The word is in horribly sad situation after the World War Terminus. The dusty, radioactive and lonely planet. Most people left this dying world and live in colonies. Those who live there suffer genetic abnormalities.
The problem appears when androids decide to return to Earth from colonies. The reason is never explained bu this thread must be handled. As a bounty hunter, Rick Deckard hunt over androids. It is very hard to describe the plot of this book. The idea is to tell us about feelings of loneliness, humanity and strange choices we sometimes made.
Image credit: Wikipedia
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep on Amazon
3. Brave New World
by Aldous Huxley (1932)
Brave New World is a science fiction novel about reproductive and sleep-learning technologies that influences our future society much. The future world is shiny, peaceful and very stable. The is no lack of food, goods and everybody can fulfill his needs. There are no demographic problems, because children are created in raised in Centers. They are divided in Castes. Everyone seems to be happy.
The author reveals the dark sides of utopia. The loss of freedom and personal responsibility is obvious. No one dares to challenge caste system, because everybody believe that they are working for common good. The novel tells a story about a man in this society who dares to claim his right to be unhappy, to be ugly or get old. All sides of future utopia are revealed in this book.
Image credit: Wikipedia
2. Nineteen Eighty-Four
by George Orwell (1949)
The well known phrase "the big brother is watching you" originally comes from this book. It is a story about a country, called Oceania, which is ruled by oligarchical dictatorship of the Party. The world is in never ending war. The public mind control is on top. The Big Brother, who is the Party leader controls all the country. The main hero works for the Ministry of Truth. His job is to re-write old newspaper articles to match the current Party's statements. He hates Party secretly and want to rebel against it's doctrine. So the story begins. A little bit love, a little bit rebelling, much absurdness in doctrine. But when everything comes to an end, the feeling of helplessness appears.
Great book. Personally, I have read it several times. Really worth reading.
Image credit: Wikipedia
Nineteen Eighty-four on Amazon
1. Stranger in a Strange Land
by Robert A. Heinlen (1961)
This book once was promoted as the "best science fiction novel ever written". It tells a story of a man who comes to Earth but originally he was born on the planet Mars and raised by Martians. The novel explores his interaction with terrestrial culture. The live on Earth is shown as consumerist and media driven 20th-century United States. The main hero Valentine Michael Smith was raised up by Martian natives who has full control on their mind and bodies. He feels very strange on Earth with his superhuman intelligence and physical abilities. He does not understand the religion and concept of God. Many other concepts such as war, clothing and jealousy seems strange for Smith too. He investigates sexuality, drugs, spirituality and all other human behaviors. Finally he becomes a strange toy in a hand of government and church.
This novel is great to read because it explores the nature of human behavior. It shows our habits from completely different angle. Great book to read.
Image credit: Wikipedia
Stranger in a Strage Land on Amazon
Rate this list yourself!
Geeky Books You Should Read
Top 20
1. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlen
2. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
3. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip Dick
5. Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Richard Feynman
6. Neuromancer by William Gibson
7. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
8. Dune by Frank Herbert
9. Cosmos by Carl Sagan
10. Foundation by Isaac Asimov
11. A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
12. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
13. Microserfs by Douglas Coupland
14. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
15. Watchmen by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
16. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
17. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
18. The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson
19. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
20. Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks
