Hackers and Hacking in Science Fiction
n the course of researching how SF has looked at computers, software, and hacking, I’m looking for science fiction novels and shorter works about computer/network hackers. Movie references are welcome as well, especially any that people might think are particularly realistic or thought-provoking.
Here’s what I have so far.
1970′s
The Shockwave Rider
Neuromancer
Count Zero, William Gibson
“Burning Chrome”,William Gibson
Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card
In his early days in Battle School, Ender exploits a deliberate input-sanitation vulnerability to create bogus accounts on the Battle School computer. Orson Scott Card used to programming articles for Creative Computing, the seminal publication of personal computing.
1990′s
Synners, Pat Cadigan
Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson
The Long Run, Daniel Keys Moran
The Last Dancer, Daniel Keys Moran
The Matrix, Wachowski Brothers
Hackers, Iain Softley
Added at the suggestion of commenter Ericka
2000′s
Diamond Age, Neal Stephenson
Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson
Halting State (Ace Science Fiction)
Charles Stross is one of the most technically adept SF writers, and his books in general contain the most accurate or plausible depictions of software that anyone has yet published.
Digital Fortress: A Thriller
Added at the suggestion of commenter Matthew. An excellent negative test for SF-ness. The Maguffin in this book is some sort of universal crypto thingy, so implausible that I did in fact throw the book away when I came to it. An SF book with this tone would have to account for the crypto in some way, whereas in thrillers, the guns, subs and planes have to be right, but the science is under no such constraint.
