Books Like...
In "The Body Scout," Lincoln Michel presents a near future New York City where corporations control professional baseball, games are played in massive stadiums, and the world is plagued by pandemics, wealth inequality, and climate change. The story follows an investigation by an adopted brother into the mysterious death of a ball player, leading him through the ruins of New York City filled with dystopic elements like smog, underground tenements, and ocean walls. The book marries the tropes of cyberpunk and noir, reinventing familiar themes with a science fiction twist, creating a fast-paced and entertaining read that explores new ideas and fresh concepts.
If you liked The Body Scout, here are the top 19 books to read next:
- #1
Save:Necrotech by K.C. Alexander is a cyberpunk novel set in a society on the brink of collapse, where corporations wield disproportionate power, organized crime is ruthless, and the police are corrupt. The protagonist, Riko, is a fierce and complex character who navigates a world filled with high-tech cybernetics, nano machines, and augmented reality. The plot revolves around Riko waking up in a strange place with no memory, embarking on a journey filled with action, mystery, and dangerous alliances. The writing style is described as gritty, vulgar, and fun, with a strong focus on character development and world-building.
- #2
Save:'Sewer, Gas and Electric' by Matt Ruff is a near future conspiracy thriller filled with a motley crew of characters and subplots. The story follows a billionaire building skyscrapers, an ex-wife investigating suspicious deaths, eco pirates in a submarine, a racist plague, and ironic homicides. The book is chaotic, energetic, and full of wacky ideas that keep the reader guessing, even if the plot itself is so-so. Ruff takes the reader on a wild ride through a world where mutant sewer sharks, Ayn Rand as a character, and a civil war veteran all play a part in a bizarre and amusing narrative.
The observation eyrie pricked the dome of the sky some twenty-six hundred and seventy feet above the city’s streets—half a mile up, with yardage to spare. The eyrie was not open to the public. Most vi... - #3
Save:'Islands in the Net' by Bruce Sterling is a science fiction novel set in a future world where data pirates operate outside the wired network, trading in stolen data and technology. The protagonist, Laura Webster, works for a multinational collective that portrays itself as benign but is always seeking profit. The novel explores themes of technology, data privacy, and the consequences of a hyper-connected society. Sterling's writing style is praised for its vision of the future, even though some elements have not aged well, the story remains relevant and thought-provoking.
Pilings rose in clusters, like blackened fingers, yards out in the gentle surf. Once, Galveston beach homes had crouched on those tarstained stilts. Now barnacles clustered there, gulls wheeled and sc... - #4
Save:Hardwired by Walter Jon Williams is a cyberpunk thriller that presents a somewhat dark vision of earth's future. The novel details the attempts of a few individuals to remain free in a world dominated by evil human overlords and new technology. Set in a post-apocalyptic urban cyberpunk landscape with elements of military SF and western, the book follows deeply flawed heroes navigating through inhuman circumstances and engaging in high-octane adventures.
By midnight he knows his discontent will not let him sleep. The panzerboy drives north from Santa Fe, over the Sangre de Cristos on the high road through Truchas, heading for Colorado, wanting to get ... - #5
Save:The Girl Who Was Plugged In by James Tiptree Jr. is a classic sci-fi novella that delves into a dystopian future where society values superficial beauty and influencer culture. The story revolves around a physically deformed girl who gets a chance at a new life by controlling another lab-made body, becoming a celebrity used for product placements. Despite the technology not being entirely plausible, the novella accurately predicts influencer culture and corporate media control. It explores themes of performing femininity, societal pressures on women, and the difference between offline and online personas.
- #6
Save:Infomocracy by Malka Ann Older is a political science fiction thriller set in a future world where countries are replaced by units of 100,000 people called centenals, practicing micro democracy. The story explores the implications of this new political system, intertwining espionage and political maneuvering within a world driven by pervasive technology and connectedness. The plot is complex, with conflicting perspectives and motivations, and the author's writing style combines elements of futuristic world-building with a focus on political intrigue and societal structures.
The sign on the defunct pachinko parlor proclaims 21STCENTURY, but the style—kanji in neon outlined in individual light bulbs? Who does that?—suggests it was named at a time when that was a bold look ... - #7
Save:'Accelerando' by Charles Stross is a mind-bending journey through the concept of the Singularity, exploring a future where humanity evolves alongside advanced technologies. The book weaves together multiple generations of the Macx family as they navigate the consequences of rapid technological change, pushing the boundaries of what it means to be human. Stross presents a dense narrative filled with futuristic ideas such as posthumanism, artificial intelligence, and societal transformations, creating a complex and thought-provoking exploration of the potential future of humanity.
The writing style of 'Accelerando' has been described as dense, filled with jargon, pseudo-physics, and sci-fi cliches that challenge readers to keep up with the rapid pace of technological advancements presented in the story. Stross blends elements of space opera with down-to-earth societal issues, creating a unique reading experience that balances between futuristic concepts and relatable human dilemmas.
Three years later, Manfred is on the run. His gray-eyed fate is in hot pursuit, blundering after him through divorce court, chat room, and meetings of the International Monetary Emergency Fund. It's a... - #8
Save:'Synners' by Pat Cadigan is a cyberpunk novel set in a future where individuals called synners have surgically augmented their brains to interface with computers. The book explores themes of technology, capitalism, and human-machine interfaces through a complex narrative involving a large cast of characters. Despite some initial confusion and a slow start, the story eventually picks up momentum, leading to a climax involving a rogue AI in the datasphere.
"Who's laughing? Do you see me laughing?" She shifted on her high stool and held her subject's arm closer to the lamp. The lotus job was especially difficult, as it had to merge into a preexisting des... - #9
Save:"Trouble and Her Friends" by Melissa Scott is a cyberpunk novel set in a future where hackers, known as crackers, operate in a virtual world where cracking has become illegal. The protagonist, Trouble, is being impersonated and hunted by the authorities, leading her to search for NewTrouble to clear her name. The story revolves around the adventures of Trouble, her partner Cerise, and their group of LGBTQ community women as they navigate the virtual reality and the challenges it presents. explores themes of identity, gender politics, and relationships within the hacker community, all set against the backdrop of a futuristic internet landscape.
Trouble was gone.Cerise had known it from the moment she entered the strangely neat apartment, the inevitable clutter—disks, books and papers, here a sweater, there a pair of shoes—all missing along w... - #10
Save:Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan is a futuristic noir thriller set in a world where human consciousness can be digitized and transferred to different bodies. The story follows Takeshi Kovacs, an ex UN envoy who is hired to investigate a suspicious suicide, leading him into a complex murder mystery. The book explores themes of power, immortality, and societal inequality in a gritty, cyberpunk setting. The writing style is described as fast-paced, engaging, and reminiscent of classic hardboiled detective novels, with a focus on action and intricate world-building.
In the Envoy Corps they teach you to let go before storage. Stick it in neutral and float. It’s the first lesson and the trainers drill it into you from day one. Hard-eyed Virginia Vidaura, dancer’s b...
