11 Great Books About (More Than) Technology

We've spent a lot of time over the past few weeks talking about reading and writing. Is focusing more difficult when you have to cull through dozens of emails every day? Are writers worried about writing for the skimming masses? What happens to our brains when we switch from paper to screens?

There's a lot of thinking about how we read. But what this conversation has made us want more than anything: To actually sit down with a good book.

We asked our listeners to suggest books that have changed the way they think about the world at this moment of great technological change. 

Here's a pretty good sampling of what you sent us:

• "Feed" by MT Anderson

A young adult novel that has been called part sci-fi, part cyberpunk.

(Candlewick Press)

Quite a few of you sent us this one, including listener Sami Peil. It's one of those thought experiments rising out of the things that are pretty plausible in the near future, for those of you who want to add a little chill to your beach reading. In short, it's a love story about as "an average kid on a weekend trip to the moon," in a world where "internet connections feed directly into the consumer's brain." 

• "Close to the Machine" by Ellen Ullman

This is not your average tech memoir.

(Picador)

Imagine what the rise of the dot com empire looked like to a computer programmer who got her start in the '90s, trying to establish herself against everything Silicon Valley was (er... is?). As a bisexual women with former Communist credentials, she explores what the technology she has helped to build actually means for its users and the world they live in. 

This one came to us by way of Lindy Humphreys.

• "Geek Sublime" by Vikram Chandra

A writer of code flexes other creative muscles to make a point.

(Graywolf Press)

A non-fiction meditation on the actual beauty of computer languages, and the real art behind technology. A good one for burnt-out techies who want to return from vacation inspired. Or, you know, your repressed inner art student. 

• "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle

Sure, you read it in elementary school. It's worth picking up again.

(Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

Listener Lindy Humphreys says: "I've read this one every year since third grade and learn more each time!"

• "A Whole New Mind" by Daniel J. Pink

Some validation for the good-at-math kids.

(Riverhead Books)

An argument prophesizing that the rational, right-brained among us are taking over from their creative left-brained forbears. Listener Lisa Frankel sent this one with exclamation marks for emphasis. 

 

• "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card

Another one you argued about in middle school.

(Tor Books)

As Kavya Srinivasan put it: "The one technology book that really made me think... especially for the relationship between childhood and technology." If you've ever had a kid completely school you when it comes to new technology, you'll want to read this classic young adult adventure tale. Or reread, of course.

• "The Circle" by Dave Eggers 

This one stirred up some controversy a few years ago.

(McSweeney's)

Gina Shelton wrote: "Although fictitious it was easy to see this text foreshadowing negative changes in our culture resulting from the Internet of things. This book prompted me to talk with others about my concerns for our tech obsessions." Set at a not-so-thinly-veiled Facebook-like tech company, McSweeney's founder Dave Eggers also levels some not-so-thinly-veiled criticism of the tech world.

• "Off the Grid" by Nick Rosen

A look at the inside, from the outside.

(Penguin Books)

A British journalist traveled to America to meet people trying to live far, far away from the mainstream. He introduces them in a pretty great travel book.

Trish Salge says: "While not totally on the subject of technology, it really ties into recent discussions about privacy, independence, and how difficult it's become to disconnect, both literally and figuratively, from everything from social pressures to utility companies." 

 

• "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury

This classic 1953 dystopian novel is ripe for a reread.

(Simon &Schuster)

As listener Jonathon put it:

"Not only did Bradbury foretell of wireless earbuds and televisions the size of walls, but he writes about how books, articles and other reading materials are broken down into smaller and smaller bite size pieces ready for consumption. This devolution ends with media consisting of imagery alone. I couldn't help but think of Twitter and Tumblr and the like while reading this. This is definitely a good read for those living in our digital age."

• Any/everything in the giant oeuvre of Philip K. Dick. 

One of the most prolific - and beloved - science fiction writers of the twentieth century got a lot right, as his fans love to point out. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

 

Listener Richard Goffman sent this one in. If you are looking for an entry into classic sci fi, this is where you'll want to start. Dick has inspired 11 - yes, 11! - film adaptations, including "Blade Runner" (adapted from "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?") and "A Scanner Darkly." Reddit suggests starting with his short stories. 

Read any of these? Got thoughts/opinions? Would you like to suggest more for the list? Comment below and stay tuned for more!

And if you're looking for the big, tech-and-culture book of the summer? Check out our conversation with Joshua Cohen, author of "Book of Numbers" here.