Ask HN: What should I read next? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: What should I read next?

14 pointsgrease42 comments

(This is a selfish ask, but I posted it thinking it might help others too)

A few months ago, I started reading Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" and fell in love with it. I went on read the rest of books in the Foundation Series. Sidenote: The books get progressively worse and the last one is a drag. Anyway, the reading was a good break from my startup in 2 ways: (1) I wasn't in front of yet another screen (tv, browsing, movies), and (2) It was, in some way, intellectually stimulating. It made me think.

So, fair HN, can you suggest what should I read next? Preferably fiction (I feel most non-fiction is worth a blog post). Something that fits a short attention span. Something a geek would like (I've already read "hitchhikers guide to the galaxy").

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I'd highly recommend Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. I read it last weekend and simply couldn't put it down. It's along the lines of 1984 but less extreme and thus more believable. The (free) ebook can be found at http://www.craphound.com/littlebrother/download/. The author offers the ebook for free and asks that you donate a copy (explained on the site) instead of emailing him and offering to pay him directly for it (or anything of the sort).

Thanks! Am (already) beginning to read it

Little Brother has a special place in my heart, but mostly because I started reading it a few weeks after being chased around by riot police at the Pittsburgh G20, which made the effect that much more real.

Little Brother is a subversive nerd's porn.

It would be nice if you provided a lot more detail. I like recommending people books, but when all you say about your preferences is "I like Foundation and Hitchhiker's Guide" (like every other nerd in the universe) there's not really much space for figuring out what you would enjoy and what you wouldn't.

Sorry for being vague. I haven't been much of reader (until recently). That also makes it difficult for me to describe my preferences (or predict what I'll like).

Point taken, though, that it is difficult to suggest books in a scenario such as this.

I bet he would like Ender's Game - the other book that every other nerd in the universe likes. :)

May I suggest Roger Zelazny's classic "Nine Princes in Amber"? Short easy read and very well written.

Otherwise, when you can affort more than a "short attention span" come back for more recommendations.

It seems that most recomendations fall in the sci-fi genre. I'll add my personal favourite: Stanisław Lem (the author of Solaris). The Star Diaries and Cyberiad are a lot of fun mixed with really interesting ideas.

But if you want to read a very actual story, including an anticipation of the Internet, take a look at this 1961 story:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_from_the_Stars

I also heartily recommend "Cyberiad", a timeless collection of short stories.

I alluded to this in http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1865350 , but want to respond to your comment about reading "making you think."

I had a major breakthrough in my creative (programming, music) life when I realized that my most intensely creative periods were fueled by reading.

What would happen is that I would work tirelessly drafting ideas, hacking or making music until I burned out and got very depressed. I stayed like this and, through some accident, started reading as a way to pass time. Before I got through more than one or two books, I'd have forgotten the depression and be back to creating stuff again.

Now, I try to make time for reading daily (instead of binging/purging). It helps me avoid burnout on creative projects and gives me new ideas all the time.

For the past two years I've been reading a handful of authors and will recommend them instead of specific books: HP Lovecraft, Jorge Luis Borges, Haruki Murakami, Philip K Dick, Neal Stephenson, William Gibson, Franz Kafka.

I also very much enjoyed a book called Science and Society in the 16th and 17th Centuries that I picked up at a college library booksale. I don't recall the author, unfortunately.

Read the Cryptonomicon. It's an awesome work of fiction, and it involves lots of geek interests. Alternative suggestions are Microserfs and JPod.

the first 150 - 200 pages are kind of slow, but power through because it will be worth it.

As others have said, with just foundation and hhgg as guiding points, it is not that easy to give good recommendations. Stephenson has fun ideas, geek themes, and interesting scope. Pratchett is enormously entertaining, and very easy to read.

One book series that I really love is The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. It is a speculative fiction in a (hopefully alternative) far future. They are not too long, but incredibly packed with interesting stuff which makes them a bit of a slow (but rewarding) read. The first time I read the books I was blown away, and my immediate reaction was "Wow, that was cool. I have to read them again right now". Once I was hooked, I had to read all of Gene Wolfe's other stuff as well :)

Heinlein is one of the masters of scify. I think Asimov is like a child, Heinlein imagination is overwhelming.

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_A._Heinlein

Stranger In A Strange Land is probably my favorite book. Vonnegut is my favorite author. By the way, if I had the money I would love to buy one of the screen prints here http://www.vonnegut.com/art.asp

Go to amazon.com with amazon cookies cleared and click on only the books that you like and then rate them. See what amazon recommends.

Alternatively, try Shelfari (http://www.shelfari.com/) or WhatShouldIReadNext (http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com) and look at their recommendations. (Note: I haven't used either of these sites but found them when I was researching using amazon for recommendations.)

If you like Foundation, you might like the Ringworld series by Larry Niven. Ringworld is a classic.

Robert Heinlein's books are great. Some come to mine are The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, Starship Troopers (much better than the movies), Stranger in a Strange Land, Double Stars, and The Puppet Masters.

Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness is amazing. The Earthsea series are fun read if you want to get beyond SciFi.

"The Diamond Age" or anything else by Neal Stephenson.

RiderOfGiraffes also suggested Snow Crash; both would be excellent choices. I'd add to this Cryptonomicon, which is an interesting story, interesting thematic matter (relevant to software folks, and presented intelligently), and just full of different ways of looking at things (the scene that describes the Hindenburg disaster, or eating Captain Crunch cereal, were both perfectly clear, yet told in ways that took me some time to sync with what they were actually referring to.

Also consider most anything from Vernor Vinge. Some of my favorites from him are A Deepness in the Sky, Rainbows End, and A Fire Upon the Deep. Since he's a Comp Sci professor, he handles technology issues (and especially computer-related stuff) very realistically.

And if you're looking back into the classics, consider Larry Niven's "Known Space" books, particularly Ringworld.

"Anathem" by Neal Stephenson is the best book I've read in years. The first 50 pages or so are a slog, but after that I couldn't put it down.

"What is the What" by Dave Eggers is also phenomenal.

"What is the What" is one of the most beautifully written books of the last decade. I wholeheartedly endorse this.

... with an added emphasis on "Cryptonomicon". :)

A recent HN post which may be helpful for you:

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1752139

I recommend "A Fire Upon The Deep" and "A Deepness In The Sky" by Vernor Vinge. They're epic, emotional, and gripping, but also have some quite excellent hard science and future culture speculation. Also his book "Rainbows End" for something a little closer to home... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernor_Vinge

There's a large volume that contains all of Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction short stories. They're great because they are indeed short, and while not all of them are good, a number of them fill me with the same sort of wonder I get from reading the first Foundation book.

If you're on an Asimov kick, The Caves of Steel is also pretty good, and has a Foundation-style twist at the end.

Dune is the best science fiction book ever written.

Agreed, the friends and family sequels are dire however.

+1 Dune is very intellectually stimulating.

Here is what to check out when you are looking for what to read, and the blog associated with it is worth the read for insight and snarkiness: http://www.bookslut.com. Jessa is as compulsive a reader as you are likely to find, and publishes a monthly collection of unique reviews and essays. Highly recommended.

Anything by Terry Pratchett. There are a lot of books, and you might want to check this:

http://www.lspace.org/books/reading-order-guides/the-discwor...

I personally loved "Guards! Guards!" and would recommend it.

Also enjoyed "The player of Games" by Iain M Banks.

Consider also "Snow Crash"

Charles Stross and Ian McDonald are my new favorite sci-fi authors. I just finished Accelerando by Stross which had lots of great ideas played out over the next several centuries. Cyberabad by McDonald is a collection of short stories that push at the fantastic edges of where tech could be going.

If you are not too particular about sci-fi, I would suggest Neil Gaiman's Sandman. Its fantasy, but extremely stimulating. Its a series of 10 graphic novels, but you need not necessarily read it in order. Some are better than others, but every book has a very high level of story-telling.

You might like CJ Cherryh's science fiction. Her Merchanter books are really good, and although there is some weird alien stuff, in general the space travel and combat, as well as economic issues in space, are handled quite well. I'd start with Downbelow Station.

I just read Daemon and Freedom by Daniel Suarez. The second one is better, but they're both very entertaining. Also, Matthew Soble, the mastermind character in Daemon and Freedom reminded me a lot of Hari Selden.

If you liked Asimov you'll probably like other classic SF authors like:

- More Asimov - Philip K. Dick - Heinlein - Arthur C. Clarke - Ursula K. Le Guin - Larry Niven - Ray Bradbury

Kurt Vonnegut has some good stuff. Slaughterhouse Five, Cats Cradle and I really liked A Man Without a Country.

The Discworld series (Terry Prachett) is good if you liked HHG

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1865350

Try some Philip K. Dick. Get one of his short story collections, they've put out several of these in recent years.

Permutation City by Greg Egan

Read Hitchhikers Guide. Again. Priceless.

"The Timetraveller's Wife" will make you think.

check out anything by j g ballard, or some of h g wells early short stories.

just finished 'food of the gods' and loved it.

I've always really enjoyed "The Soul of a New Machine" Amazon, non-affiliate: http://www.amazon.com/Soul-New-Machine-Tracy-Kidder/dp/03164...

It's the story of a team of engineers building a new minicomputer, back in the late 70s. I couldn't put it down. He manages to make the politics interesting and the technical details simple.

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