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John Brunner Books

1 book·~10 min total read

John Brunner (1934–1995) was a British science fiction author known for his socially conscious and speculative works. His novels often explored themes of technology, environmentalism, and societal change.

Known for: The Shockwave Rider

Books by John Brunner

The Shockwave Rider

The Shockwave Rider

scifi_fantasy·10 min read

The Shockwave Rider is a science fiction novel by British author John Brunner, first published in 1975. Set in a near-future America dominated by computer networks and data control, the story follows Nick Haflinger, a fugitive programmer who creates a self-replicating computer worm to expose government corruption and restore individual freedom. The novel is notable for introducing the concept of a 'computer worm' and for its prescient vision of a networked society, privacy erosion, and information warfare.

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1

Life in the Data Empire

The novel opens on a future America humming with databanks and computer terminals, where every citizen’s information is accessible through vast interconnected grids. Bureaucracies and corporations have fused into a data-driven aristocracy that knows more about its people than they know about themsel...

From The Shockwave Rider

2

The Escape of Nick Haflinger

Nick begins as a product of this very machine. Raised in a state experiment designed to cultivate genius—Project Delphi—he is fed on equations and psychological conditioning until he becomes both tool and threat to his masters. I wanted him to personify the contradiction at the core of technological...

From The Shockwave Rider

About John Brunner

John Brunner (1934–1995) was a British science fiction author known for his socially conscious and speculative works. His novels often explored themes of technology, environmentalism, and societal change. Brunner’s most acclaimed works include Stand on Zanzibar, The Jagged Orbit, and The Sheep Look ...

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John Brunner (1934–1995) was a British science fiction author known for his socially conscious and speculative works. His novels often explored themes of technology, environmentalism, and societal change. Brunner’s most acclaimed works include Stand on Zanzibar, The Jagged Orbit, and The Sheep Look Up, which, along with The Shockwave Rider, established him as a major voice in 20th-century speculative fiction.

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John Brunner (1934–1995) was a British science fiction author known for his socially conscious and speculative works. His novels often explored themes of technology, environmentalism, and societal change.

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