The 15 Best Sci-Fi And Tech Books For The Vacation

Whether you want to find a great read for a friend, a loved one or fill your bookshelf, here are some of the best classic tech books and sci-fi novels for you to explore. 

For the true enthusiasts, books are great gifts. For many, the book is THE gift. Luckily, here we are talking about some of the best tech books ever written.

So, what should we be reading?

Classic Tech Books

The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder (1981)

The Soul of a New Machine is a story about the creation a new computer – the Eagle minicomputer.

But it’s also somewhat an emotional product story set in the basement in Data General, a minicomputer vendor in the 1970s.

It explores the dynamics of teamwork and the difficulty of dealing with ego and “success”, whereas, at the same time, shows the almost naive passion, the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction of creating a new product.  

The book won a Pulitzer Prize, and it’s a good read for anyone interested in product innovation.  

 Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution by Steven Levy (1984)

This is the book that described, or better say defined the hacker movement, and is an early account of the Hacker Ethos.

You will find many detailed and interesting chronicles of the events related to the hacker revolutions from the late 1950s through the early ’80s and read about some pitfalls and failures along the way.

In the 25th anniversary edition, you will recognise many names, from Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Stallman, and Steve Wozniak. The book is the trip down memory lane, enjoy it.

The Chip: How Two Americans Invented the Microchip and Launched a Revolution by T.R. Reid (1985)

The Chip is an engaging book about how the first chip is created.

The story revolves around the two versions of the chip that were created independently.

One by Robert Noyce of Fairchild Semiconductor (and later Intel) and the other version by Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments, who received a Nobel Prize for physics in 2000.

So who came up with a device that revolutionised our lives first?

The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen (1997)

The Innovator’s Dilemma is a book that should sit on every entrepreneur’s bookshelf.  

The book gives great insights into what causes companies to lose either their market shares or their entire markets, which is the inability to see the advantage of investing in disruptive technology.

Although the focus of the book is on businesses and their strategies, the author shows how disruptive technologies, if we understand it correctly, can prove to be highly successful; if not, they could bring a disaster to a company. All in all, this is a book for ambitious innovators.

The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence by Ray Kurzweil (1999)

If you are interested in artificial intelligence, transhumanism, the technological singularity, and futurism, or know someone who wants to dig deeper into these topics, you can start with Ray Kurzweil’s first book.

This is a look at what the future might bring us, how technology is moving fast and where science is taking us.   

Classic Sci-Fi Novels

The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov (1951)

It’s hard to pick one Asimov’s book – it’s better to start with the Foundation Trilogy (Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation).  

Set so far in the future where humans live throughout the galaxy, Hari Seldon, a psychohistorian and mathematician, predicts the future that can lead humanity into barbarism.

He is willing to confront this catastrophe and creates a plan to save the knowledge of the human race in an Encyclopedia Galactica. Intriguing, exciting, and insightful.

Dune by Frank Herbert (1965)

Frank Herbert is known as the Father of Modern Science Fiction.

Whether you agree with it or not, there is no reason not to read the second book in the Dune series.

Herbert carefully draws you in the vast, plausible world, set in the distant future that reflects his interest in politics, culture, religion, science, society.

His imaginative and realistic world is still relevant although the book was written in the 1960s.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams (1979)

Any introduction to the book and other books in the Hitchhiker’s series might not do the books any justice.

There is always someone who didn’t read the Guide, doesn’t know what a Babel Fish does, or what “42” stands for. Poignant, witty and downright entertaining, this book is a classic for a reason.

In case you didn’t read the book, prepare for irreverent humour, the ridiculous plot twists and insane logic as “reality is frequently inaccurate.” And remember, it’s perfectly fine to laugh out loud.  

Neuromancer by William Gibson (1984)

Neuromancer is one of the very best Cyberpunk novels.

One can easily immerse into this fast paced, amazingly imaginative world.

This is the world of hackers, corporations, crime syndicates, smugglers, drug dealers, and bar dwellers where Gibson’s distinct style of prose makes for a unique reading experience.

Even non-science fiction fans should read it (though I believe science fictions is for anyone) at least to see what all hype is about. 

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (1992)

Neal Stephenson had to be on the list. 

This is the tale of Hiro Protagonist, a computer hacker who has to deal with a computer virus that travels via the metaverse and messes with the minds of hackers and people’s brain.

The book popularised the use of the term avatar (denotation of a graphical representation of a person) and introduced the term metaverse.

Interesting, entertaining, captivating, complex and imaginative – that’s all you need to know.

Hot Tech Books

Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words by Randall Munroe (2015)

Randall Munroe compiled a list of the 1000 most common words and decided to explain them in the simple language.

From microwaves and modern information technology to space system and the cells in our body, this tech book sheds light on some complex topics, in a funny and insightful way.

Startupland by Mikkel Svane (2014)

The founder of Zendesk shares his experience of building a billion-dollar company, in great detail, honestly and with passion. For entrepreneurs and everyone working on or thinking about launching a startup, this book can help set the right expectations towards the journey of success.  

Advice about fundraising, gathering a great team, handling growth – the book tells a story of time and resources invested into building a great product and struggles behind it.

Zero to one: Notes on startups, or how to build the future by Peter Thiel (2014)

According to Peter Thiel, the most important skill is learning to think for yourself. The co-founder of PayPal believes it’s better to build a startup from zero, in an entirely new industry or space, because there are some things every business must answer.

From practical insights to business strategy, the book explores what motivates entrepreneurs.

Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull (2014)

The co-founder and president of Pixar offer us valuable insights about overcoming the unseen forces that stand in the way of true inspiration.

The book contains valuable lessons on what drives an innovative individual, and how one can create a sustainable, innovative culture. Innovation might be somewhat a buzzword, but to be innovative, a company has to attempt what no another company has done.

The Information by James Gleick (2011)

If you are familiar with the great 1990’s tome Chaos, then you would want to explore this book. The book’s theme can be explained by quoting the author, “in the long run, history is the story of information becoming aware of itself.”

The focus of the book is the study and quantification of information. The author takes both historical and philosophical approach to exploring the “rules” of our information age, looking into theories and the development of our modern age.

This is not an attempt to create a list of all-best books; it’s somewhat impossible. But, is there a book you think should be on this list?