3 book recommendations from Eliot Peper
Reviews & Robots published wonderful back-to-back reviews of each entry in the Analog trilogy. It's a special feeling when a reader really connects with a story—illuminating prose as a bridge between worlds. I've included links to each review below.
And now, books I love that you might too:
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone is a mind-expanding, heart-wrenching tale of dastardly intrigue and burgeoning romance that follows two supremely competent secret agents traveling through time to bend the arc of history toward their respective masters' incompatible political ends. Their story is a shining example of Amal's lovely definition of literature in the acknowledgements: "Books are letters in bottles, cast into the waves of time, from one person trying to save the world to another."
Anything You Want by Derek Sivers is an insightful and inspiring account of the author's journey from circus performer to founder and CEO of CD Baby—the largest online distributor for independent music that made $70 million for musicians before Derek sold the company and donated the proceeds to support music education. This powerful memoir distills his lessons learned into a concise, compelling philosophy for living a creative life.
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman is a wildly imaginative adventure about a demon and an angel who become unlikely friends and defy their respective bosses in heaven and hell by teaming up to avert the apocalypse. Hilarious, poignant, and ultimately hopeful, this is satire of the very best kind—lampooning bureaucracy, religion, and close-mindedness without falling into cynicism.
Bonus recommendation: In The Age of the Essay, Paul Graham deconstructs why the traditional essay format can be so maddening, and provides a thought-provoking guide for how to write them much, much better.
In other news:
‘Bandwidth’ Review: Political Intrigue Amidst a World on the Precipice: "Bandwidth masterfully combines speculative genres, pitting political thriller against climate change science fiction to create a compelling narrative that constantly keeps you on your toes. The character development is spot-on, showing us a protagonist with a difficult past whose career and life choices are coming back to haunt him. The novel surprised me at every turn with its web of intrigue and ever changing loyalties. It’s a wonderful read and I can’t wait to dive into the sequels."
‘Borderless’ Review: Smart Storytelling in a Tech-Driven World: "With well-crafted characters, an intricately woven plot, and a technology-driven society that mirrors our own, Borderless is impossible to put down. This is a spy novel at its finest, wrapped up in the workings of a tech-dependent society whose simplification of service providers has created untold ramifications. Incredibly smart, well-informed storytelling that shows a deep knowledge of politics, public policy, and psychology."
‘Breach’ Review: Loads of Intrigue & A Hells-Yes Protagonist: "I’m obsessed with Emily Kim. She’s this powerful, super-intelligent woman who has used her skills and her presence to grow a silent empire, only to have it all pulled out from under her. There’s always so much at stake in this near-future world."
I went on the New Books in Science Fiction podcast to talk to about the social implications of technology, the meaning of justice in an age of algorithms, and the near-future extrapolated in my latest novel, Breach.
My conversation with Kim Stanley Robinson: "We live in a science fiction novel that we are all writing together. Because of that, science fiction is the realism of our time. It’s become the most relevant and dominant art form in our culture."
I just backed Sam Greenspan's new speculative journalism podcast that reports on how technology is shaping our world from the point of view of a future historian. I was lucky enough to contribute notes on the project and couldn't be more excited for Sam and for listeners. Bellwether's view from the future will challenge you to think differently about the present.
If you enjoy this newsletter and want to support it, tell your friends. 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 earned praise from the New York Times Book Review, Businessweek, Popular Science, Boing Boing, 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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Eliot Peper is the author of Breach, Borderless, Bandwidth, Cumulus, Neon Fever Dream, True Blue, and the Uncommon Series. Subscribe to his blog here.
"All too real. A thriller of the very near future, at the intersection of surveillance and inequality. Read it now, before it happens!"
-Ramez Naam, award-winning author of Nexus, on Cumulus
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