Hello, guys, and thank you so much for some of the first questions and feedback. It is beneficial for making the website and the whole gig better! One of the things you are asking is, what were the primary inspirations for the Cyberside? I'm delighted to share, so here are my top seven inspirational books and stories that have influenced my storytelling and style as an author a lot.
Cryptonomicon - the early work of Neal Stephenson largely influenced me around my late twenties and made me fall in love with the book's narrative structure and storytelling style. Complex, spread through multiple ages, following various families over different eras, and dedicated to the foundation of the tech industry. What not to love? This book is mandatory for everyone doing anything in tech and video games, as it is a fascinating social-cultural phenomenon that deserves to be on every shelf.
Alice in Wonderland is not a surprise and an infinite source of inspiration for many authors. Alice's story and journey are transcendent, thought-provoking, and a true classic. In some sense, the main female character of Cyberside is inspired by Alice. Interesting fact: I live in Guildford, where Lewis Caroll lived, wrote, and buried. Some of me wanted to believe that the unseen presence of a great genius had helped me finish the first book when I was stuck with it.
Neverending Story is one of my favourite movies as a kid. I have seen it too many times, and it has influenced memory mechanics in the book and some of the scenes. Still, it's a movie I rewatch when I'm down, and well, being a grownup allows me to relieve the death of the Artax again without crying. Also, Falor is a good boy. The best one.
Neuromancer - William Gibson has been one of my favourite authors for eternity, and Neuromancer is my favourite book of this author. A close second is the series of books about the Blue Ant agency. Cyberpunk and speculative fiction as genres resonated with me over the years in how they research human society's social dynamics in extreme scenarios. Neuromancer is the jewel in the crown of the genre.
Schismatrix - it's impossible to fall in love with cyberpunk and dystopian future and miss Bruce Sterling's works. Schismatrix is a very complex book that challenges your intellect, attention to detail, and ability to follow the plot's unravelling while staying entertaining.
Snow Crash + Diamond Age - another Stephenson story strongly believed by many have forecasted a lot in technology development in modern society. As public knowledge goes, Snowcrash stands behind the metaverse term and rash a few years ago. It was fun and a bit weird to be present at the summit while working at Epic, listening to the speech about metaverse importance while being a long-life fan of Neil Stephenson. Another interesting fact is that Diamond Age impacts many entertainment products, including Deus Ex and Ghost in the Shell.
American Gods - I love everything Neil Geiman does, with American Gods and Anansi Boys follow-up as my favourite and Sandman as a close second. American Gods manages to tell complex stories with supernatural characters in environments of everyday situations in a way that immerses you into the world of imagination from the first pages and leaves your mind stuck in this story for a long time.
I hope this answers, guys, and if you haven't read or watched some of those, I strongly suggest you do, as, in my opinion, most of those are masterpieces and stories to dwell in :)
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