3 book recommendations from Eliot Peper
My next novel, Borderless, is now available for preorder and comes out October 30th.
Information is power, and whoever controls the feed rules the world in this science fiction thriller about a rogue spy navigating a geopolitical labyrinth through a not-too-distant future. Where Bandwidth wrestles how feeds shape our lives, Borderless grapples with the rise of tech platforms, the decline of nation states, and reconciling sins of the past with dreams of the future.
Craig Newmark calls it, “A riveting cautionary tale about how the control of information could lead to new forms of democratic governance, or to accidental empires. Rooted in the current realities of the internet and social media, Borderless explores a near future in which our lives are shaped without our conscious consideration.”
Preorder your copy of Borderless right here. I'm extremely proud of how the story came together and can't wait to hear what you think.
And now, books I love that you might too:
All Systems Red by Martha Wells is an incredibly compelling science fiction story told from the perspective of a reluctant, snarky robot designed to be a killing machine. Somehow Wells manages to make it action-packed and full of insight at the same time. The adventure sucked me in immediately and spat me out gasping. I'm still thinking about how much I love the protagonist.
How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan is a detailed guide to the science, history, and experience of psychedelics. Pollan peels away the layers of myth that have built up around these powerful substances to reveal the often counterintuitive truth about their neurochemistry, political economy, clinical applications, and potential to expand the boundaries of human thinking.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is a moving, lyrical novel about the ancient Greek hero and his close friend and lover, Patroclus. The beautiful prose, emotional depth, and masterful storytelling honor and echo Homer's Iliad. If you've ever wondered what it might have felt like to live in antiquity, this is the book for you.
Bonus recommendation: This profile of Craiglist's Craig Newmark explains why he is investing tens of millions of dollars into journalism right now. Hearing that Bandwidth inspires him to support freedom of the press at a time when our country is in crisis left me speechless. And yes, he's the same Craig quoted above.
In other news, I handed in the rough draft of a new novel to the publisher (working title: Breach). It will come out next year. UC San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy interviewed me about writing novels for the 21st century (I'm an alumn). Two of my very favorite authors, William Gibson and Nick Harkaway, both shared a little blog post I wrote about how to build an audience if you're a novelist. Drea and I are attending Burning Man this year and we're in the final stages of prepping our gear. If you're curious about the event but haven't participated, or if you're a veteran burner, I channel the spirit of my experiences there in Neon Fever Dream. Finally, this humble newsletter just passed the three thousand subscriber mark. I'm grateful and delighted to have the opportunity to geek out about books with all of you. Onward and upward!
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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