Just wondering what 2020ish or later cyberpunk books/authors you’ve read and would recommend. Every list I find is either the same handful of admittedly quintessential 1970/80s stuff (Gibson, Stephenson, Dick, etc), mega compilations that aren’t deliniated by year/quality (and haven’t been updated in years), or wildly irrelevant bot slop.

Human authors only… nothing AI/LLM-generated, please.

  • Hammerjack@lemmy.zip
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    2 days ago

    If you like your cyberpunk with a heavy dose of hard-boiled detectives, Bang Bang Bodhisattva is a cyberpunk novel where the main character is trans. That’s something you wouldn’t find in most older cyberpunk works.

    There’s also Titanium Noir, which I haven’t read. I think that one leans more into scifi mystery than cyberpunk though, just from the description.

    • lerky@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOP
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      2 days ago

      A trans protagonist definitely has me sold, though detective-wise it depends on whether it’s just functioning as pro-cop propaganda.

      • Hammerjack@lemmy.zip
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        2 days ago

        Bang Bang Bodhisattva is definitely not pro-cop propaganda. It really does follow the hard-boiled detective mold where they’re basically vigilantes trying to solve a crime because the police force isn’t helpful.

        But, if you’re interested in trans characters in cyberpunk novels, I also made this post about a year ago. And while I haven’t read it, I also heard about Hammajang Luck, which I guess is a queer cyberpunk novel that includes a lot of Hawaiian culture.

        • Hasherm0n@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          You have Escapeology listed in your linked post and that’s the exact novel I was coming into the comments to recommend. I’ve never seen another person mention that book before.

        • lerky@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOP
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          2 days ago

          Always interested in books with trans/enby characters (well… that aren’t the tired serial killer/etc. demonization), will check those out!