Cyberpunk is one of the most creative and thrilling genres in modern fiction. From groundbreaking movies like Blade Runner and Akira to mind-expanding novels like Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, and chart-topping video games like Cyberpunk 2077, the cyberpunk world is brimming with phenomenal works.
In my opinion, there's nothing quite like the immersion of reading, especially when exploring the cyberpunk universe. This is why I've compiled 10 of my favorite cyberpunk novels in PDF format. First, let's find out what Cyberpunk is. Let's plug in!
What is Cyberpunk?
Cyberpunk, a niche within science fiction, paints a dystopian future where society is overwhelmed by advanced technology, creating a deep divide between the elite and the underprivileged. This sub-genre often explores themes like virtual reality, hacking, artificial intelligence, and the societal impacts of technological advancements.
Central to cyberpunk is its depiction of future societies where governments and corporations have seized immense power, often sacrificing individual freedoms and privacy. The genre is renowned for its somber and grim portrayals of a world where technology has surpassed human control, leading to new forms of exploitation and tyranny.
Notable works in the cyberpunk genre include William Gibson's Neuromancer, the movie Blade Runner, and the Deus Ex video game series. These influential works have significantly shaped the science fiction landscape and continue to inspire new cyberpunk stories.
Core Elements of Cyberpunk
- High-Tech Innovation: This genre often highlights advanced technologies such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence, robotics, and cybernetic enhancements.
- Dystopian Setting: Cyberpunk is characterized by its dark, dystopian visions of the future, where corporations and governments hold overwhelming power, often infringing on personal freedoms and privacy.
- Societal Divide: A frequent theme is the disparity between the affluent, who have access to cutting-edge technology, and the rest of society, who are marginalized and left behind.
- Rebel Hackers: Many cyberpunk narratives feature protagonists who are hackers or rebels, using their tech skills to challenge and disrupt corrupt power structures.
- Neon-Lit Urban Landscapes: The genre often unfolds in moody, neon-lit cityscapes, providing a backdrop for its fast-paced, high-tech adventures.
- Distinct Aesthetic: Cyberpunk is noted for its unique visual style, emphasizing neon lights, decaying cityscapes, and a pervasive sense of decay and dystopia.
- Ethical Quandaries: The genre frequently delves into complex ethical questions surrounding the use and abuse of technology, privacy, security, and the fusion of humans and machines.
1. The Sleepless by Victor Manibo
- Author: Victor Manibo
- Publication Date: 2021
- Goodreads Rating: 3.5/5
- Availability: Get The Sleepless in PDF format from Google Play Books
Journalist Jamie Vega investigates his boss's suspicious death while being accused of the crime. As a Sleepless, Jamie navigates a world of corporate power and radical groups, with his unique condition adding layers to the mystery.
Manibo's deeply layered and thrilling cyberpunk hit offers an original story I haven't seen in a cyberpunk work. I recommend this title if you've seen, read, or played it all!
2. The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi
- Author: Hannu Rajaniemi
- Publication Date: 2010
- Goodreads Rating: 3.83/5
- Availability: Get the PDF from Google Play Books
Jean le Flambeur is freed from prison by Mieli for a mission on Mars. In a society where technology obscures thoughts and memories, Jean must rediscover his past to fulfill Mieli's demands.
I don't want to say too much about this book, as it's filled with so many mind-blowing twists and turns. You'll just have to trust me!
3. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
- Author: Pierce Brown
- Publication Date: 2014
- Goodreads Rating: 4.27/5
- Availability: Get Brown's revolutionary masterpiece from Google Play Books
Red Rising is set in a dystopian distant future where humanity is severely segregated. While some wallow in mines deep under Mars' surface, others reap the rewards of the solar system's far-flung slavery. That is until one young miner from Mars is unwittingly propelled into a revolution.
Brown's epic saga involves a huge cast of incredibly well-developed characters waging bloody wars to control the planets. It's an incredibly addictive read that all starts with Red Rising.
4. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
- Author: Nnedi Okorafor
- Publication Date: 2015
- Goodreads Rating: 3.86/5
- Availability: Follow Binti's rise to power with Google Play Books
Binti follows the difficult journey of a young woman accepted to the most prestigious university in space. To attend this top-ranking institution, Binti must leave her beloved family and people and suffer alienation from her classmates.
I'd recommend Binti if you want to read something more challenging than the usual rebel hero trope. It's an incredibly nuanced and powerful tale spanning a riveting trilogy.
5. Virtual Light by William Gibson
- Author: William Gibson
- Publication Date: 1993
- Goodreads Rating: 3.87/5
- Availability: Get Gibson's masterpiece from Google Play Books.
Under the pseudonym James Tiptree, Jr., Sheldon delivers a Hugo Award-winning novella set in a future where corporations dominate. A disfigured teen's mind is transferred into a perfect body, transforming her into a celebrity puppet.
If you're a fan of series like Black Mirror, you'll love Virtual Light's nightmarish brilliance.
6. Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan
- Author: Richard K. Morgan
- Publication Date: 2002
- Goodreads Rating: 4.04/5
- Availability: Alter your carbon with Google Play Books
Set in a future where consciousness can be transferred between bodies, Takeshi Kovacs is reanimated for a job he can't refuse. The story navigates themes of immortality, identity, and power.
If you've watched the 2017 Netflix series, I strongly recommend diving into Morgan's original story. There is so much more detail and intrigue loaded into each page!
7. Neuromancer by William Gibson
- Author: William Gibson
- Publication Date: 1984
- Goodreads Rating: 3.91/5
- Availability: Get Neuromancer in PDF format from Google Play Books.
This cornerstone of cyberpunk literature introduces "The Matrix" (not the film) as a virtual reality. It follows Henry, a data thief who is offered a dangerous job by a mysterious client after a corporation damages his nervous system.
I consider Neuromancer an essential read for anyone interested in cyberpunk fiction. Gibson is widely considered the "Father of Cyberpunk Science Fiction" for a good reason, just as PDF Reader Pro is considered the "Father of PDF Readers."
8. Infomocracy by Malka Older
- Author: Malka Older
- Publication Date: 2016
- Goodreads Rating: 3.61
- Availability: Join the Infomocracy at Google Play Books.
A single search-engine monopoly has established a global micro-democracy. As elections approach, political intrigue and corruption abound in this post-cyberpunk thriller.
If you think our online world is scary, wait until you discover Older's monstrous version of Google. Infomocracy might be fiction, but I loved how pertinent it was to real-life issues like fake news and voter manipulation.
9. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
- Author: Neal Stephenson
- Publication Date: 1992
- Goodreads Rating: 4.02
- Availability: Get Snow Crash from Google Play Books.
Hiro, the Protagonist, is a pizza delivery boy in reality and a warrior prince in the Metaverse. He encounters a lethal computer virus targeting hackers. This novel is another cornerstone of the genre, blending tech and adventure.
I might be controversial in saying this, but I believe Gibson walked so Stephenson could run. Snow Crash builds on all the themes and possibilities set by the cyberpunk genre, bringing it to a higher literary brilliance.
10. Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich
- Author: Louise Erdrich
- Publication Date: 2017
- Goodreads Rating: 3.57
- Availability: Explore Erdrich's dystopia with Google Play Books.
In a world where evolution is reversing, pregnant women, including the protagonist Cedar, face a dystopian reality. This novel leans more on the low-life and corporate control aspects of cyberpunk.
One of my favorite themes in the cyberpunk genre is the exploration of corporate domination and greed, and few authors expand that theme better than Erdrich.
11. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
- Author: Margaret Atwood
- Publication Date: 2003
- Goodreads Rating: 4.01
- Availability: Get Oryx and Crake from Google Play Books.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world after the collapse of a cyberpunk society, this trilogy follows Snowman, possibly the last human, on his quest for survival and answers amid genetic engineering's fallout.
Best known for The Handmaid's Tale, Atwood has several other sci-fi classics worth your time.
12. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
- Author: Cixin Liu
- Publication Date: 2019
- Goodreads Rating: 4.09/5
- Availability: Get it from Google Play Books.
The Three-Body Problem is another sci-fi phenomenon turned into a top-rated Netflix show. However, the novel is far superior, and many concepts and mind-blowing moments simply cannot be translated into film.
Cixin Liu is one of my favorite sci-fi authors in general, and although The Three-Body Problem might not strictly be cyberpunk, I couldn't help adding this jaw-dropping work of fiction to the list.
13. Synners by Pat Cadigan
- Author: Pat Cadigan
- Publication Date: 1991
- Goodreads Rating: 3.68
- Availability: Start "synning" on Google Play Books.
Synners are humans who convert performers' experiences into sellable digital packages. This story explores the merging of humans and machines, questioning the nature of reality.
For much of the story, Synners felt somewhat chaotic and aimless, making me question its direction. However, Cadigan's brilliant ending tied everything together, turning it into something profound and satisfying.
14. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
- Author: Philip K. Dick
- Publication Date: 1968
- Goodreads Rating: 4.09
- Availability: Get this PDF from Google Play Books.
This novel, which the film Blade Runner was based on, is a seminal work in the cyberpunk genre that explores the blurred lines between humans and androids. Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter, faces the challenge of distinguishing between increasingly sophisticated rogue androids and real people.
I often wonder which work tells the better story: the novel or the film it inspired. Regardless, Dick's futuristic story is amazingly advanced, considering it released nearly ten years before the first Star Wars movie.
15. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
- Author: Ernest Cline
- Publication Date: 2011
- Goodreads Rating: 4.24
- Availability: Print, digital, audiobook
"Ready Player One" is Ernest Cline's debut novel, set in a dystopian 2045 where protagonist Wade Watts embarks on a quest to find an Easter egg in a vast virtual reality game. The reward for finding this egg? The immense fortune of the game's creator.
I loved the monumental imagination Cline wrote Ready Player One with, and the many pop culture references kept a consistent smile on my face.
How to Download Cyberpunks eBooks as PDF
Don't have a Kindle and looking for a way to download your eBooks in PDF format?
Check out our guide below!
Here is a step-by-step tutorial:
Once you've purchased your cyberpunk eBook, follow these steps to download it in PDF format from Google Play Books:
- Go to the "Books" tab at the top of your screen.
- Click on the "Your Library" link.
- Locate your book and click the three-dot icon under the cover image.
- Choose "Export" and then "Export as PDF".
