If any genre of sci-fi is really right about the future, it’s probably cyberpunk: power in the hands of companies, high tech, cybernetics, using technology in ways their creators didn’t intend, augmented reality. Over the past few years, many books have been published immersing themselves in cyberpunk worlds, and below you will find some of them.
Project Lexi
Vladimir Shorokhov, 2019
People are always trying to make life easier for themselves in every possible way. And finally, the Lexi program was created, which drove vehicles in large cities and quickly coped with traffic jams. Rejoiced at this success, the task of garbage disposal was shifted to her, which was also quickly eliminated. After that, gradually, other tasks were shifted to Lexi, social and economic control was given. She could be a best friend, a psychologist, an engineer, a consultant and a doctor at the same time. And although Lexi never pointed out, but simply advised, her advice was unconditionally followed. The program helped build new cities, space stations on Mars, and eventually made Heaven on Earth, but one small inaccuracy in its code dramatically changed the usual life of people.
The Age of the Digital Christ
Andrey Cherny, 2018
For 300 years, the virtual world has become a permanent place for people to live, and life outside of it is now needed only to meet basic physiological needs. As the legend goes, a local artificial intelligence named “Steel Sphere” seized power and built a new world where people no longer need to think about politics, religion and family. There are only all kinds of melee, firearms and energy weapons mixed with adrenaline. Here you can not die forever, you do not need to waste time studying and working. But changes are coming that will destroy the illusion of a carefree world. But what if the story of the uprising of machines under the control of the “Steel Sphere” is nothing more than fiction, and it is people who pose the real threat?
Catasterism
Alexandra Golubeva, 2019
In this world, you can call the keys, camera recordings make it easy to find the criminal, and shoe covers just spray on your feet. The news feeds are filled with reports of breakthroughs and novelties, which makes it difficult to understand if this is really another “breakthrough technology” and not the creation of scammers. And what do you do when your elderly parents are the victims of a stranger who sells them another cure for all diseases? Contacting the police does not lead to any results, and retrieving recordings from cameras constantly working on every corner becomes much more difficult than it seemed. But the fraudster is only half the problem, because the parents continue to grow old, they are covered by illnesses and the money from the accounts quickly goes to the next magical medicines. And suddenly there is information about an organization that is testing a medical procedure to rejuvenate the body. Volunteers are welcome. Isn’t this a good chance to change everything?..
The semblance of life
Ekaterina Borovikova, 2019
The need for human labor is reduced to a minimum – all areas of activity are occupied by robots, and it is more difficult than ever to prove one’s value to the state. Therefore, people spend most of their lives in the virtual world, where they study, relax and work, while in the real world everything is controlled by a well-functioning video surveillance system, ensuring security. But a mysterious series of murders breaks into this perfectly tuned world. What’s weirdest is all the signs that it was the home maintenance system that did it, which just can’t be.
garbage surf
Chen Qiufan, 2019
The author was able to perfectly combine the cyberpunk genre with ecological dystopia. There is Silicon Island off the coast of China, filled to overflowing with faulty machinery and toxic waste. Everyone says that phones, robots, prostheses and computers are sent here for “recycling”, when in reality gadgets just accumulate and pollute every inch of the earth. Thousands of migrant workers come here in the expectation of stable jobs and a better life, instead clashing with local ruthless criminal gangs vying for power. At one point, passions heat up and a war is brewing, in which Mimi is the main character who came here, like everyone else, to work, and those like her must decide whether they will remain pawns or decide to change their future, despite the risks.
Genoid
Vladimir Shorokhov, 2021
Several decades have passed, and the virus continues to rage and take people’s lives. But everything is not so simple, because he is actually a front for the Genoid project. The story begins with convicts coming from the forbidden zone, who were young, smart and very beautiful girls who were brought up for service from childhood. But one death triggers a chain of events in which the heroes, who previously had low morals, begin to go through the most difficult trials, transforming spiritually and radically changing their outlook on life. They have to deal with the mystery behind the virus, the strange DNE, and finally find out the secret of the genoids before it’s too late…
End of rainbows
Vernor Vinge, 2019
Unlike the popular evil AI scenario, math professor Vernor Vinge goes the other way. In the world he wrote, life is impossible without the use of digital technologies, everyone tries to stay in constant contact with virtuality. But despite new technologies, the problems here remain the same and are exacerbated by technological progress: a new virus is discovered; unknown under the name Rabbit, weaving intrigues and, it seems, playing with others in a game known only to him; terrorists who are being fought by several intelligence agencies at the same time. A well-known poet who has recovered from his illness and at the same time has lost his talent for writing falls into all this. Attempts to return his gift plunge him into the thick of things, including not only family problems, but also riots in libraries where people demand to save books. Where will all this lead?
Warcross: Player. Hunter. Hacker. Pawn.
Marie Liu, 2017
As an orphan and bounty hunter of illegal bettors, Emika Chen still lacks the funds to pay her bills, forcing her to take desperate measures. In the virtual game Warcross, where players from all over the world team up to fight for the top prize in tournaments, Emika tries to make a gamble that should bring the desired money, but she has no luck. Although, from which side to look. Indeed, instead of prison and fines, the creator of the game turns to her with an offer that cannot be refused. Participating in a tournament and finding security flaws seems like a simple task until a conspiracy is discovered that is going to change the usual things for her and for the whole of Warcross.
Meta Game. Awakening
Daniyar Sugralinov, 2019
Nineteen-year-old Matvey has been unlucky since birth. Even in childhood, it became clear that he poorly coordinates the work of muscles. Because of this, the road to sports is closed to him, it is difficult to work, study too. Having opened the world of video games, he thought that at least somewhere he would stop being a cripple and become a hero, but in online games his name is at the bottom of the rating – his hands continue to fail, lagging and missing the keys, which leads to defeat in online battles. Therefore, he found a new hobby that interests him – designing maps and creating modifications. But one push turns life inside out. Lying in the hospital, he meets a strange doctor who implants him with a special chip that opens access to another part of reality. Now the whole world is a global meta-game, where other meta-players run around previously unknown creatures. But no matter how much you would like, the guy did not start a white streak.
Total Dream
Andrey Cherny, 2018
Another creation by Andrey Cherny, but darker and filled with gray morality than the Digital Christ Era. Dreamer is a mixture of computer networks and VR devices that allows you to have lucid dreams, in which billions of people escape from everyday problems. However, artificially created cheerful and happy dreams become a real horror filled with monsters, dark and bloody scenes, and other uncontrollable filth, driving users crazy. Then several young guys fall into a series of strange events directly related to Dreamer’s malfunction. They will have to go through hopelessness, not very beautiful scenes and make not the best decisions just to find out the cause of the anomaly and try to get rid of it.
Source: Trash Box
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