3 book recommendations from Eliot Peper
My new novel, Bandwidth, is now available for preorder. Bandwidth is a science fiction thriller starring hackers and spies navigating the collision of tech and geopolitics in a future ravaged by climate change. Imagine Mr. Robot meets The Americans, with techno utopian activists hijacking the global feed to influence the psychology of world leaders. Bandwidth comes out May 1.
I put my heart and soul into this book, synthesizing everything I've learned about the social implications of accelerating technological change, the hidden systems that shape our world, and why history's movers and shakers do what they do. My dearest hope is that the result is a compelling adventure that will suck you in, challenge your assumptions, and stick with you long after you finish it. But don't take my word for it. The Verge ran an exclusive excerpt and two of my very favorite authors have said some nice things about Bandwidth already (which gives me serious fanboy jitters):
“A smart techno-thriller that plays out the near future of data immersion, the digital divide, and climate change with mind-expanding effectiveness.” —Malka Older, author of Infomocracy
“An all-too-plausible thriller of power, morality, and global consequences. What would you do to wield influence? How far would you go to wield it for good? Bandwidth’s answers may disturb you.” —Ramez Naam, author of Nexus
Preorder Bandwidth right here. The designer, Kevin Barrett Kane, created a gorgeous cover that perfectly channels the soul of the novel and he assures me that the hardcover is going to be a work of art. I can't wait to hear what you think of the story when it comes out in May. In the meantime, I'm hard at work drafting the sequel.
(If you're a reviewer/media and want to read an advance review copy of Bandwidth, just reply to this email.)
And now, books I love that you might too:
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami is a dark, weird, and profoundly moving literary fantasy about two characters wrestling with loneliness and the search for connection in a world where reality is fraying around the edges. The protagonists are so deeply human that they feel like close friends instead of fictional figments. Murakami has a unique ability to let the reader slip inside someone else's skin, illuminate the wonder and contradictions of human experience, and weave it all into a tale of conspiracy, magic, and redemption that is impossible to put down.
Why Dinosaurs Matter by Kenneth Lacovara is a concise, pithy, and compulsively readable manifesto about the coolest creatures ever to walk the Earth and what they teach us about life, the universe, and everything. Lacovara is a renowned paleontologist who's unearthed some of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered and his enthusiasm for his subjects is as contagious as it is awe-inspiring. This book is candy for your curiosity and will ignite your sense of wonder.
The Man with the Golden Typewriter by Fergus Fleming is a fascinating collection of personal letters written by Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond. Fleming's correspondence with his friends, editors, partners, and publisher provides a unique window into the driven, conflicted life and creative process of a man who was a (rather mediocre) spy himself before inventing 007.
Bonus recommendation: This brilliant experiment from Duncan Watts reveals how music, books, movies, network effect tech, and other cultural products become blockbuster hits. In an echo chamber of post facto rationalization about the mechanics of popularity, Watts' rare scientific rigor is a breath of fresh air.
In other news, I'm currently 64k words into the rough draft of the sequel to Bandwidth and will dive back in after sending you this missive. Want to help me write the story? Love classic hip hop? The protagonist is a rogue spy who loves listening to Golden Age rap. What should her favorite song be? Send me your suggestions and I'll add them to her Spotify playlist. The artist who's helping us adapt True Blue into an illustrated digital multimedia project just sent over some of her work-in-progress which made my jaw drop. I can't wait to share more details soon. Oh, and this little tweet about what makes stories tick seemed to strike a chord.
If you enjoy this newsletter and want to support it, forward this email to a friend. I love sharing amazing stories that explore the intersection of technology and culture. The goal of this newsletter is to recommend books, both fiction and nonfiction, that crackle and fizz with big ideas, keep us turning pages deep into the night, challenge our assumptions, help us find meaning in a changing world, and make us think, feel, and ask hard questions. In an age of digital abundance, quality is the new scarcity. The right book at the right time can change your life.
I also pull back the curtain on my creative process. When I'm not reading books, I'm writing them. If you're interested, you can find my books right here. They've been praised by Businessweek, Popular Science, TechCrunch, io9, and Ars Technica. I'd love to hear what you think if you give them a read.
Cheers, Eliot
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