100 books like Atomic Fireflies

By A.C. Merkel,

Here are 100 books that Atomic Fireflies fans have personally recommended if you like Atomic Fireflies. Shepherd is a community of 10,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Auxiliary: London 2039

Tanweer Dar Author Of The Demon

From my list on indie cyberpunk to get your circuits going.

Why am I passionate about this?

Between Blade Runner and The Terminator, I was hooked on Cyberpunk. Throw in some Ghost in the Shell and Black Mirror, and the obsession was complete. With the rise of Synthwave as a musical genre and as a retro-futuristic aesthetic, I had both the soundtrack and the visual cues to which I could write Cyberpunk. I also feel strongly about our increasing reliance on technology and the blurring lines between biology and technology. This is something I explore in my writing.

Tanweer's book list on indie cyberpunk to get your circuits going

Tanweer Dar Why did Tanweer love this book?

A noir Cyberpunk book set in the UK (which itself makes it distinctive). Great characters, crazy technology, and lots of drama make Auxiliary seriously gripping. If you like Cyberpunk, robotics/Artificial Intelligence, and dark, dystopian thrillers, you will love this! Just a word of warning, though, this is not for the faint of heart...

By Jon Richter,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Auxiliary as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The silicon revolution left Dremmler behind but a good detective is never obsolete.London is quiet in 2039—thanks to the machines. People stay indoors, communicating through high-tech glasses and gorging on simulated reality while 3D printers and scuttling robots cater to their every whim. Mammoth corporations wage war for dominance in a world where human augmentation blurs the line between flesh and steel. And at the center of it all lurks The Imagination Machine: the hyper-advanced, omnipresent AI that drives our cars, flies our planes, cooks our food, and plans our lives. Servile, patient, tireless … TIM has everything humanity requires.…


Book cover of The Complete Strange Tales From the City of Dust: Omnibus

Tanweer Dar Author Of The Demon

From my list on indie cyberpunk to get your circuits going.

Why am I passionate about this?

Between Blade Runner and The Terminator, I was hooked on Cyberpunk. Throw in some Ghost in the Shell and Black Mirror, and the obsession was complete. With the rise of Synthwave as a musical genre and as a retro-futuristic aesthetic, I had both the soundtrack and the visual cues to which I could write Cyberpunk. I also feel strongly about our increasing reliance on technology and the blurring lines between biology and technology. This is something I explore in my writing.

Tanweer's book list on indie cyberpunk to get your circuits going

Tanweer Dar Why did Tanweer love this book?

Vaz Anzai collects all five episodes from his Strange Tales from The City Of Dust series in this absolutely breathtaking omnibus that also includes bonus short stories, author notes, and exclusive artwork. With great, and varied, characters, fascinating technology, and gritty Cyberpunk settings, Dust: Omnibus is essential reading for all fans of the genre.

By Vaz Anzai,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Complete Strange Tales From the City of Dust as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Strange Tales From The City Of Dust is the ultimate Omnibus for the complete Dust storyline.
5 episodic adventures along with 3 short stories and detailed author notes, commissioned artwork, and more!

CLOCKWORK DEUS: Episode 1
Alice, a "Tinkerer" for the Wonderlust brothel has discovered a Prostibot that has become self-aware. Together, they will uncover the secret behind a shadowy organization in Dust's abandoned zone, The Blooming Fields.

THE DARKEST PART: Episode 2
Laila, a mysterious Saudi Arabian woman, has escaped an event known as "The Opaque", a consuming void that destroyed her former city. Now in Dust, she must…


Book cover of Into Neon

Tanweer Dar Author Of The Demon

From my list on indie cyberpunk to get your circuits going.

Why am I passionate about this?

Between Blade Runner and The Terminator, I was hooked on Cyberpunk. Throw in some Ghost in the Shell and Black Mirror, and the obsession was complete. With the rise of Synthwave as a musical genre and as a retro-futuristic aesthetic, I had both the soundtrack and the visual cues to which I could write Cyberpunk. I also feel strongly about our increasing reliance on technology and the blurring lines between biology and technology. This is something I explore in my writing.

Tanweer's book list on indie cyberpunk to get your circuits going

Tanweer Dar Why did Tanweer love this book?

This book stands out because of its great world-building, terrific characters (Chicken Thumbs and Patchwork are personal favourites), and brilliant action—this is cyberpunk at its best. The attention to detail, such as the names of corporations and logos is impressive. There are also a couple of well-conceived and executed twists (no spoilers!).

By Matthew A. Goodwin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Into Neon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When a corporate lacky discovers a terrible secret that exposes his illusions, will his hidden fire dwindle or ignite a rebellion?

Orphaned and alone, Moss is happy to have found a place in the world. But his humdrum working routines take a terrifying turn when a mysterious woman breaks into his apartment and hands him a data chip from his dead parents. Suddenly hearing messages revealing his benevolent employer has a far darker side, he braves the dangerous megacity streets in search of the truth.

Surrounded by outcasts and criminals and running on instinct, Moss stumbles onto a rebel group…


Book cover of Early Adopters: Rogue Elements

Tanweer Dar Author Of The Demon

From my list on indie cyberpunk to get your circuits going.

Why am I passionate about this?

Between Blade Runner and The Terminator, I was hooked on Cyberpunk. Throw in some Ghost in the Shell and Black Mirror, and the obsession was complete. With the rise of Synthwave as a musical genre and as a retro-futuristic aesthetic, I had both the soundtrack and the visual cues to which I could write Cyberpunk. I also feel strongly about our increasing reliance on technology and the blurring lines between biology and technology. This is something I explore in my writing.

Tanweer's book list on indie cyberpunk to get your circuits going

Tanweer Dar Why did Tanweer love this book?

This book is a thrilling, action-packed ride through a merciless world ruled by nefarious corporations and filled with deadly, genetically enhanced super-humans. As well as Cyberpunk aficionados, Early Adopters will also appeal to fans of comics as well as lovers of action and espionage. No Mary-Sues here, though. Morally grey, gritty, and grueling!

By D.T. Wilby,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Early Adopters as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

They thought they were going to save the world...

Maybe someday.

First they need to save themselves.

Praise For Early Adopters: Rogue Elements - Amazon Reviews

"A thumping good read."

"This is my favourite Superhero Universe now."

"Everything I wanted from The Watchmen movie and didn't get."

Over a decade ago now, a group of misfits underwent genetic editing under the auspices of scientific research. They thought they could make a difference. They thought they were going to be superheroes, but MiliTech turned them into their own living, breathing weapons.

Outside of their honeymoon period, they are disavowed and relentlessly…


Book cover of Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

S.R. Algernon Author Of Cooling Season

From my list on science fiction that will change your perspective.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an American author and have been an avid reader of science fiction for nearly forty years. I studied science fiction in college, along with biology and other subjects. My undergraduate honors thesis was a discussion of postwar Japanese science fiction that included a translation from the original. I have a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology and have published papers on learning in machines, humans, and humpback whales. I have taught and studied in Japan and Singapore, and critiqued fiction for several years with critters.org. I have published many science fiction stories from various perspectives. The Hugo finalist, "Asymmetrical Warfare" tells the story of an alien invasion of Earth from the invader’s perspective.

S.R.'s book list on science fiction that will change your perspective

S.R. Algernon Why did S.R. love this book?

This Japanese novel is actually two interleaved and interconnected stories, one set in the bustling, alienating landscape of contemporary Japan and the other taking place… well, as the title suggests, at the End of the World. It makes for a gripping page-turner with a unique perspective on the human mind.

By Haruki Murakami,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A narrative particle accelerator that zooms between Wild Turkey Whiskey and Bob Dylan, unicorn skulls and voracious librarians, John Coltrane and Lord Jim. Science fiction, detective story and post-modern manifesto all rolled into one rip-roaring novel, Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World is the tour de force that expanded Haruki Murakami's international following.

Tracking one man's descent into the Kafkaesque underworld of contemporary Tokyo, Murakami unites East and West, tragedy and farce, compassion and detachment, slang and philosophy.


Book cover of Midnight, Water City

Sean-Michael Argo Author Of Salvage Marines

From my list on blue collar sci-fi and horror.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a child I grew up around blue-collar type men and women, and as I became an adult I grew to learn that these are the sorts of people who pioneer civilizations, who keep them running once they are built, and who are the ones to brave high-risk labor to bring us the food, shelter, and comforts we often take for granted. Adding a fictional element in the form of aliens, monsters, or the supernatural can put a fine and dynamic point on the life & struggles of such people. I strive for this in much of my military science fiction work and enjoy reading it as an audience member.

Sean-Michael's book list on blue collar sci-fi and horror

Sean-Michael Argo Why did Sean-Michael love this book?

This is a cyberpunk novel, and while most books in that genre focus more on characters like criminals or rebels, this one narrows in on a former police detective and private security contractor. This is one of the few books in the genre that looks at the working stiffs of the cyberpunk future, instead of the punks with mohawks & machine guns or the corporate suits with their android bodyguards and elegant penthouses.

By Chris McKinney,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Midnight, Water City as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Hawai‘i author Chris McKinney’s first entry in a brilliant new sci-fi noir trilogy explores the sordid past of a murdered scientist, deified in death, through the eyes of a man who once committed unspeakable crimes for her.

Year 2142: Earth is forty years past a near-collision with the asteroid Sessho-seki. Akira Kimura, the scientist responsible for eliminating the threat, has reached heights of celebrity approaching deification. But now, Akira feels her safety is under threat, so after years without contact, she reaches out to her former head of security, who has since become a police detective.

When he arrives at…


Book cover of Swipe Right for Murder

Katie Jane Gallagher Author Of Specter

From my list on young adult for spooks and thrills.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve loved stories with a horror/thriller focus ever since I can remember. Yes, I was that creepy kid who read all of Goosebumps, as well as checked out a copy of Dracula from the library at the tender age of eleven, much to the chagrin of the elderly librarian. My own books are multi-genre, but tend to include a thriller or horror element—it’s such fun to write a page-turner that ends with a bang. I truly hope you enjoy these picks as much as I did. They are some of my very favorites!

Katie's book list on young adult for spooks and thrills

Katie Jane Gallagher Why did Katie love this book?

Swipe Right for Murder is a thriller with LGBT themes that will gobble up every moment you can spare for reading. Set in 2019, the book nonetheless has a raucous, cyberpunk feel. Main character Aidan, through the use of a Grindr-style hook-up app on his senior Spring Break, stumbles into an unfortunate series of events that lead him into close contact with a domestic terrorist organization bent on killing homophobes. Swipe Right for Murder is a page-turner if there ever was one, and it’s fucking funny. Seriously, there are some legit laugh-out-loud moments in this book—generally a tough order for a written medium. If you’re looking for a smart thriller that is turned up to eleven at all points, then this book is an absolute must-read.

By Derek Milman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Swipe Right for Murder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

An epic case of mistaken identity puts a teen looking for a hookup on the run from both the FBI and a murderous cult in this compulsively readable thriller.

Finding himself alone in a posh New York City hotel room for the night, Aidan does what any red-blooded seventeen-year-old would do--tries to hook up with someone new. But that lapse in judgement leads him to a room with a dead guy and a mysterious flash drive...two things that spark an epic case of mistaken identity that puts Aidan on the run--from the authorities, his friends, his family, the people who…


Book cover of The Space Merchants

Gary Gibson Author Of Echogenesis

From my list on cynical takes on space colonisation.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up, I was exposed to the same influences as most other SF writers of my generation – Clarke, Heinlein, and Asimov. But I was also exposed to the more nuanced, more psychologically realistic work of writers like Harlan Ellison, Norman Spinrad, Ursula K. LeGuin, and J.G. Ballard, none of whom shared the unquestioning techno-utopianism of an earlier generation of writers. They taught me not to automatically respect power or authority, and to always question ideas that might otherwise be taken for granted. It’s an approach that’s carried over into my own writing ever since.

Gary's book list on cynical takes on space colonisation

Gary Gibson Why did Gary love this book?

Pohl drew heavily on his experience as an advertising copywriter in this, perhaps his most famous novel co-written with C.M. Kornbluth. Although not directly set on a colonized world, it’s easily one of the darkest takes on the subject as the protagonist, a ‘star-class copysmith’ is given the job of selling people on the idea of emigrating to Venus…while carefully avoiding the reality of Venus being barely, if at all, habitable, with nothing to promise but a harsh existence and generations of toil before the planet can be fully terraformed.

By Frederik Pohl, C.M. Kornbluth,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Space Merchants as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In a vastly overpopulated near-future world, businesses have taken the place of governments and now hold all political power. States exist merely to ensure the survival of huge transnational corporations. Advertising has become hugely aggressive and boasts some of the world's most powerful executives.

Through advertising, the public is constantly deluded into thinking that all the products on the market improve the quality of life. However, the most basic elements are incredibly scarce, including water and fuel.

The planet Venus has just been visited and judged fit for human settlement, despite its inhospitable surface and climate; colonists would have to…


Book cover of Murderfuckers at the End of Internet

Bobbie R. Byrd Author Of Lady Silver: Warlock Chronicles, Book I

From my list on adult sci-fi/fantasy with no sparkling vampires.

Why am I passionate about this?

My expertise in things adult stems from my 65 years of life on this earth. I have a passion for adult-level writing (not “adult” as in “erotica”) because I was a junior high teacher during the Twilight craze. It didn’t take long to get my fill of sparkling vampires. I had to retire from teaching because of a disability, which left me with time on my hands. I turned to writing, something I had wanted to do since I was a high school student. I now do freelance non-fiction writing (gotta pay the bills) and writing novels. One is never too old to chase a dream.

Bobbie's book list on adult sci-fi/fantasy with no sparkling vampires

Bobbie R. Byrd Why did Bobbie love this book?

If you’re looking for cyberpunk sci-fi on steroids, this is the book for you. The depth of imagination that went into the world-building here is phenomenal.

Not only are you treated to a well-fleshed-out futuristic cyberpunk setting, there’s also some serious tech in play. Once you look past the norms of the social structure of the day – which is nothing short of brilliant – you realize this is also a good, old-fashioned police crime drama. Entertaining, mesmerizing, surprising, shocking.

This book has it all. I really loved the quirks of the language that the characters use. Not only has society changed drastically in Dae D. Shields’ world, but so has the English language. You have to read it to fully appreciate the talent of the author behind it.

By Dae D. Shields,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Murderfuckers at the End of Internet as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What if the Internet went down forever?

Old Seattle 2069.

The Internet has been dead for thirty-one years.

North America is an ecological hellscape.

The USA is a patchwork of hyper-political city-states and rogue nations.

The police have disbanded.

And somebody's killing Nobodies.

In a searing cyberpunk vision of the future, the sinister Black Devilfish walks the endless rainy streets of an overpopulated megalopolis searching for his own soul.

The bizarre Devilfish power suit belies a hard-pressed insomniac struggling to find meaning in his aimless existence. He spends his nights drowning his sorrows in Lysol sponges, calling a wife he…


Book cover of Neon Helix

Anna Mocikat Author Of Behind Blue Eyes

From my list on cyberpunk books you won’t be able to put down.

Why am I passionate about this?

I fell in love with cyberpunk when I saw Ghost in the Shell for the first time. It quickly became my favorite genre, to read, watch and write. Meanwhile, I’m one of the most renowned cyberpunk indie authors. My series Behind Blue Eyes has quickly become a favorite among readers and bloggers and I’m planning to publish many more books in the series and the genre. Besides, I’m also one of the editors of the Neo Cyberpunk anthology series, a collection of short stories contributed by contemporary cyberpunk indie authors. I hope you enjoy my list and if you want more, check out the Cyberpunk Books group on Facebook!

Anna's book list on cyberpunk books you won’t be able to put down

Anna Mocikat Why did Anna love this book?

Neon Helix is probably the most cyberpunk book of my recommendations, at least in a classical sense. It’s set in a mega-city of the future and features mega corporations, rogue AI, clones, and some really crazy scientists. It’s a fast-paced story told from multiple perspectives and the first book in a series. 

By Nik Whittaker,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Neon Helix as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"If you want an injection of cyberpunk high tech low life, this book will give it to you in spades."- Amazon Review.


Ex-Cop and Private Detective Xander Draven had resorted to protection work when he is visited by the synthetic replica of a murdered CEO's grieving widow who wants him to track down the killer. 


Meanwhile, Julian Travitz, a hacker/reporter and his A.I. companion Quartzig, are searching for the next big story and become drawn into the dark past of technology megacorporation CyberBionics.


Along the way, they encounter clones, rogue A.I.'s, psychopaths, priests, and plans that could change the status…


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