Books like Crashcourse by Wilhelmina Baird

Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune follows Paul Atreides as he rises from betrayed heir to the enigmatic Muad'Dib, guarding the precious spice melange that fuels galactic politics and extends life.

Isaac Asimov’s classic science‑fiction saga follows psychohistorian Hari Seldon as he establishes a Foundation to preserve knowledge and prevent thirty‑thousand years of darkness after the fall of the Galactic Empire.

Neal Stephenson’s cyberpunk classic follows hacker Hiro as he confronts a deadly digital drug in a slick, future Metaverse full of hackers, virtual reality, and ancient Sumerian intrigue.

In the 29th century, humanity’s vast Hegemony spans dozens of worlds connected by farcaster portals, while the enigmatic Shrike guards the Time Tombs on the lone planet Hyperion. A diverse pilgrimage of chosen individuals must each recount why they were summoned to witness the tombs’ reverse time cycle.

William Gibson’s debut Sprawl novel, *Neuromancer*, blends cyberpunk with a visionary digital future, following a hacker’s final job against a powerful AI. It earned Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick awards.

Red Mars chronicles the early days of humanity’s colonization and political upheaval on Mars, blending environmental engineering, terraforming and nation‑building in a hard‑science vision.

In a future where corporations weaponize genetic engineering, Paolo Bacigalupi’s *The Windup Girl* explores the ethical and societal consequences of bioterrorism and gene hacking.

A tale of the future, where artificial intelligence and molecular nanotechnology are rewriting the human condition.

Flynne, a young woman living in a drug‑reliant city, helps her veteran brother Burton test a new virtual reality game. When the beta test turns into a murder investigation, she discovers a deadly conspiracy that threatens her life.

When the extradimensional Flow that powers interstellar travel moves, the vast Interdependency empire risks collapse. A scientist, a starship captain, and the emperox must race to save humanity.

An undercover reporter follows a celebrity into rehab to uncover juicy gossip about her personal life.

A catastrophic solar flare disables global power grids and triggers worldwide cyberattacks, leaving the United States in chaos. The only functioning space program—Nigeria’s—must launch a desperate rescue mission to the International Space Station before Boko Haram and other threats overtake the spaceport.

You’ve heard the stories about the dark side of the internet — hackers, #gamergate, anonymous mobs attacking an unlucky victim, and revenge porn — but they remain just that: stories. Surely these things would never happen to you. Zoe Quinn used to feel the same way. She is a video game developer whose ex-boyfriend published a crazed blog post cobbled together from private information, half-truths, and outright fictions, along with a rallying cry to the online hordes to go after her. They answered in the form of a so-called movement known as #gamergate–they hacked her accounts; stole nude photos of her; harassed her family, friends, and colleagues; and threatened to rape and murder her. But instead of shrinking into silence as the online mobs wanted her to, she raised her voice and spoke out against this vicious online culture and for making the internet a safer place for everyone. In the years since #gamergate, Quinn has helped thousands of people with her advocacy and online-abuse crisis resource Crash Override Network. From locking down victims’ personal accounts to working with tech companies and lawmakers to inform policy, she has firsthand knowledge about every angle of online abuse, what powerful institutions are (and aren’t) doing about it, and how we can protect our digital spaces and selves. Crash Override offers an up-close look inside the controversy, threats, and social and cultural battles that started in the far corners of the internet and have since permeated our online lives. Through her story — as target and as activist — Quinn provides a human look at the ways the internet impacts our lives and culture, along with practical advice for keeping yourself and others safe online.