7 Books Every Nerd Should Read
Do you love sprawling, epic stories with complicated twists and turns? Do you enjoy books that are not afraid to get down to the nitty gritty of complex concepts? Do you prefer books with a dash of science or some high fantasy? If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, chances are you are a nerd. You are also in luck as there are plenty of books that you simply should not miss out on. Chances are you've already read every J. R. R. Tolkien, Frank Herbert, George R. R. Martin and William Gibson book on the market, so what else is there? Have a look at this list to find out.
1. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
With Nebula, Hugo and Bram Stoker awards under his belt there is no doubting Neil Gaiman's writing skills. He released American Gods in 2001, spinning an epic tale that blends Fantasy, Americana along with ancient and modern mythology. It stars a convict, who after the loss of his wife in a car crash, becomes the bodyguard of a mysterious conman. With talk that Starz is developing a series based on the book it is a good time to get reading.
2. Slaughterhouse – Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut wrote fourteen novels in his 50 year career, but Slaughterhouse-Five, published in 1969 is consistently ranked amongst his best. The protagonist of the tale is Billy Pilgrim, an ill-trained soldier with no desire to fight. Billy is captured by German soldiers during the Battle of the Bulge, but things take a dramatic turn when he becomes unstuck in time and experiences different moments from various points in his life.
3. She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen
Dungeons & Dragons is something every nerd should be familiar with and this book features these magnificent creatures, along with drama, comedy, homicidal fairies and tons of 90s pop culture references. Fantasy role-playing fans will love this tale of Agnes Evans who discovers the Dungeons & Dragons notebook of her departed teenage sister, Tilly.
4. World War Z by Max Brooks
You might have watched the 2013 film starring Brad Pitt, but World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, the 2006 novel by Max Brooks is still essential reading. It features a global zombie plague and the environmental, political, social and religious changes that results. The scope of the novel is far greater than the movie version and is a thrilling read for all fans of the zombie genre.
5. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
With a protagonist who lists "Greatest sword fighter in the world" and "Last of the freelance hackers" on his business card you know you are in for a wild ride in this 1992 novel by Neal Stephenson. The book covers everything from anthropology and archaeology to computer science, cryptography, memetics and numerous other topics near and dear to the hearts of all nerds. This riveting tale of a cyberdrug that can bleed over into reality will have you on the edge of your seat.
6. The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas
Written by British author Scarlett Thomas and published in 2006, The End of Mr. Y tells the story of Ariel Manto (bonus nerd points if you spotted that her name is an anagram for "I Am Not Real"). Ariel finds a rare copy of the novel The End of Mr. Y, a book rumored to be cursed and responsible for the death of everyone who reads it. It is a tale that features quantum physics along with love, death and time travel.
7. Glyph: A Novel by Percival Everett
Glyph is a novel written by Percival Everett, a Distinguished Professor of English and features the adventures of a baby named Ralph. With an IQ close to 500 Ralph is no ordinary baby and loves to read books on various literary topics. Ralph ends up kidnapped a few times because of his special skills and this causes him to write his own odyssey. Percival Everett mixes philosophical depth with plenty of charm and humor in this endearing tale.
