Books Like The Shockwave Rider

Science fiction has branched off into numerous sub-genres over the years, including the very popular cyberpunk. Mixing high-tech worlds with lowlife characters was a technique used by many authors, such as William Gibson, Philip K. Dick, and Bruce Sterling. However, one of the earlier novels to feature all the cyberpunk tropes is The Shockwave Rider by John Brunner. For more novels that juxtapose advanced technological achievements with a breakdown in the social order, check out the following books like The Shockwave Rider.

Devas

by Stuart J. Tanner

Devas by Stuart J. Tanner is set three hundred years after all life on Earth was ended by a global nuclear war. However, what's left of humanity prevailed and established a Federation of sixty-eight worlds. When six people are murdered on the Ganymede space station, Detective Mads Jenson is sent to investigate. Amid a criminal underworld of genetic enhancement dealing, he uncovers the common thread that tied all the murder victims together. They were all involved with a scientist who discovered alien DNA in a gen-hex, which has the ability to unleash supernormal abilities in users. Jenson also figures out who was involved in the murders, but to track them down, he has no choice except to make use of the alien gen-hex himself.

Into Neon

by Matthew A. Goodwin

Into Neon is the first novel in A Cyberpunk Saga by Matthew A. Goodwin. The protagonist, Moss, is just a corporate lackey who is happy to have found a place in the world after being orphaned. However, his humdrum working routines are disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious woman who hands him a data chip from his dead parents after breaking into his apartment. The messages on the chip reveal a darker side to his employer and prompt Moss to brave the dangerous streets for answers. Moss finds a rebel group intent on exposing their corrupt oppressors but fears for his life when his old boss puts a price on his head.

Spectrum Worlds

by Seth Rain

Spectrum Worlds by Seth Rain is the first novel of The Cyberpunk Uploads series by Seth Rain. It is set in 2118, where the protagonist, Postman, is a second-generation android. Postman delivers bad things to androids and is one delivery away from retirement but discovers that the package is a human woman. Since all humans were expelled from the city years ago, the price for being found with one is deletion. Postman ends up caught between an underground mafia and a state-sponsored corporation, but when he discovers the spectrum, his situation becomes a little less hopeless.

The Machine Killer

by D. L. Young

The Machine Killer by D.L. Young is the first novel in his Cyberpunk City series. The protagonist, Blackburn Maddox, is a notorious data thief who believes that his life of cybercrime is behind him. However, he ends up being forced to steal a priceless dataset by a powerful executive. In the process, Maddox discovers a secret war raging between AIs inside the digital universe known as virtual space. When he is plunged headlong into this deadly conflict, Maddox has no choice but to fight for his survival.

Midnight, Water City

by Chris McKinney

Midnight, Water City is the first novel in The Water City Trilogy by Hawai'i author Chris McKinney. It is set in 2142, where it has been almost half a century since Earth had a near-collision with the asteroid Sessho-seki. The protagonist is an unnamed, eighty-year-old police detective who was once the head of security for Akira Kimura, the scientist responsible for averting the asteroid disaster. Kimura became a celebrity for saving humanity, with many considering her to be almost a deity. However, when the detective arrives at her deep-sea home after a call that she fears for her safety, he discovers her methodically dismembered. To find her killer would require him to risk everything from his career and family to his own life.

The Blind Spot

by Michael Robertson

The Blind Spot is a cyberpunk thriller by Michael Robertson and the first book in his Neon Horizon series. The title refers to an area in Scala City that defies its dystopian big brother regime and is home to those who believe in their right to privacy. Of course, Scala City feels that those who have done nothing wrong have nothing to hide, but the hackers living in the Blind Spot could bring the larger city to its knees, so there exists an uneasy truce. Unfortunately, this delicate balance is shattered by a terrorist attack on Scala City's main plaza. As everyone else prepares for a bloody war, only one person can stop the conflict. Her name is Marcie Hugo, and she's the daughter of Blind Spot's leader. With her cybernetic enhancements, she's faster, stronger, and smarter than most and able to move between the Blind Spot and Scala City unnoticed.

Sol Arbiter

by J.N Chaney

Sol Arbiter by J.N. Chaney is the first novel in the military cyberpunk thriller series of the same name. The story is set in 2853, where humanity has established a presence right across the solar system. It only takes a few hours to travel between the seven colonized worlds and thousands of space colonies thanks to a network of faster than light gateways. The Sol Federation is in charge, and their Arbiters are tasked with maintaining order. Two Arbiters, Gabriel Anderson and Tycho Barret are sent to Venus to intervene when security androids begin killing civilians. Unfortunately, all they know is that Tower 7, with its population of 520,000 residents, has gone completely dark, and nobody is claiming responsibility for the assault.