Sci-fi Book Group - Cyberpunk

This month we're reading cyberpunk - a subgenre of science fiction set in a dystopian future. It is characterized by its focus on a combination of "low-life and high tech".

A regular book group night to discuss sci-fi and expand our reading horizons! It's very informal, you don't even have to have read a book - just as long as you enjoy talking sci-fi and having a glass of wine (or coffee!)

Some suggestions of books that might suit:

Neuromancer by William Gibson
A washed-up hacker is recruited for one last job that pulls him into a shadowy world of AI, corporate espionage, and cyberspace. A defining cyberpunk classic that explores identity, technology, and control.

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Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
In a hyper-commercialized future, a hacker/pizza-delivery driver uncovers a digital drug that threatens both virtual and real-world minds. Fast-paced and satirical, it blends linguistics, hacking, and corporate dystopia.

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Void Star by Zachary Mason
Three lives intertwine in a near-future Los Angeles shaped by AI, augmented humans, and vast inequality. A literary, atmospheric take on cyberpunk that focuses on consciousness and power.

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The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi
A master thief is broken out of prison for an impossible heist in a post-human solar system full of mind-uploading and shifting identities. Dense, inventive, and packed with futuristic concepts.

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Machinehood by S.B. Divya
As automation reshapes the workforce, a bodyguard becomes entangled in a mystery involving anti-tech terrorists and the rights of AI. A sharp, character-driven look at labor, humanity, and technology.

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The Cybernetic Samurai by Victor Milan
In a corporate-dominated future Japan, a rising executive navigates power struggles, loyalty, and ambition with the aid of a strategic AI modeled after a samurai. A mix of cyberpunk intrigue and corporate drama.

Join us to discuss what you've read, what you'd like to read and help us decide on some topics for the rest of 2026.

The topic for our next book group might be a specific book, author or general topic like first encounters, robots, etc - we'll decide on the night depending on people's interests. Feel free to submit a suggestion in the comments below.

As always, you can join our chat room on matrix at #bookgroup:glasgow.social (if you don't already have access to matrix, you can sign up at https://glasgow.social/matrix).

This meeting will be held in The Gamer Club - there'll be free tea, coffee and wine :) There are some directions to the venue here: https://www.thegamerclub.co.uk/gettinghere