On paper, when reading the book blurb, it’s easy to imagine the story being centred on a group of bland hackers that are indistinguishable from one another. Thankfully, Chuck Wendig did an excellent job making the cast unique and interesting to the point that each of their personalities stands out and adds something to the plot. Even the supporting characters are well thought out and they are able to invoke an emotional response from the reader when they reappear in latter chapters.

I’ve read books that include hacking before and often it’s tricky to present the complexities of hacking to a reader in a way that’s exciting. Many books that I’ve read involving hacking are either too dense in detail or completely implausible to the point it seems the author did no research. Chuck Wendig strikes the perfect balance to where you get some of the technical logistics of hacking, but it’s presented in a way that doesn’t interrupt the enjoyment of the book for those who don’t care for the technical details.

Anyone who follows Chuck Wendig’s blog, or who has read any of his books on writing, knows that he can go off on tangents of wild description. This isn’t a bad thing; on the contrary, it’s one of the things that made me a fan of his. However, when it comes to storytelling, the average reader would appreciate minimal descriptive writing. Chuck Wendig clearly knows what he’s doing, because any use of vivid description is used well within reason and it adds a quirky flair to the narrative. It’s clear that Chuck is self-aware about what he’s writing and is able to adapt his style accordingly.

Zeroes has short chapters throughout and the way they are structured keeps you reading. There’s rarely any slow or dull moments, but the latter half of the book is certainly more satisfying than the first. The first half sees the hackers restricted to a government controlled lodge where they are given tasks and targets to infiltrate using their hacking skills. Eventually, shit hits the fan and the group is forced to leave and hit the road to continue their adventure. The book goes from being a stationary mystery thriller, to an action packed road adventure. The transition is handled nicely.

The main group of hackers are diverse. Aleena Kattan is an activist who stands up for the rights Arabic nations. DeAndre Mitchell is an African American hacker who focuses on ripping peoples financial details. Reagan Stolper is a troll who simply gets pleasure from humiliating people online. Wade Earthman is a retired war vet who possesses old-school hacking techniques; and Chance Dalton is the most unorthodox of them all.

Chance has little hacking experience so has to suffer mockery and pity from some of the other hackers; but his real gift is being able to hack people on a social level. As the anomaly in the team, Chance adds a layer of depth that enhances the story.

Another standout character is Hollis Copper, a government agent working with the NSA to oversee the lodge. As things escalate we see Hollis begin to work with the hackers, assisting them on their journey to take out the rogue A.I. Hollis Copper is clearly a key character in Chuck Wendig lore, as he features in one of Chuck’s more recent book releases Invasive.

Zeroes is a fun, quirky techno-thriller that is ideal no matter what your level of understanding is of hackers. It ticks all the boxes in terms of storytelling and it’s an ideal entry point into sci-fi centered around cyber activity. There are points throughout the story that feel slightly cliche; and oftentimes the group were portrayed as if they were to become some cheesy “super spy” group. But these are small gripes that have no effect on a fundamentally well-crafted story.

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It creates fantasy that is entirely believable given how advanced tech is becoming in reality. With how digitised the world is becoming, it’s interesting to imagine how much power hackers will have at their fingertips, and that’s why I love reading hacker stories.

Here’s a list of some hacking books to check out…

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Reamde by Neal Stephenson

When asking for cyberspace book recommendations, you’re always going to be pointed in the direction of one of Neal Stephenson’s novels. He’s a veteran Sci-fi author who has written many cyberpunk books on hacking and computer programming. Reamde is one of Stephenson’s more recent novels and is about an MMORPG programmer who is taken hostage. A Hungarian hacker may be her only hope at being rescued. Reamde was published in 2011 and Entertainment Weekly called it “an ingenious epic” in their Must-Read column.

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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

This book is rarely labelled as a cyber drama because it crossed over into the mainstream media and is now able to stand on its own merits. At the core of Stieg Larsson’s bestseller is Lisbeth Salander, a hired computer hacker who assists in uncovering a dark family history related to the disappearance of Harriet Vanger. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is precise in its descriptions of hacking, and it shows that Stieg did his homework on what’s required to overcome each obstacle. This is required reading if you enjoy stories with hackers.

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Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Little Brother is a Young Adult (YA) hacker novel about a bunch of techy teens who are detained by agents on suspicion of terrorist acts in San Francisco. The teens then use their tech skills to take on the Department of Homeland Security and clear their names. Many have criticised the ideas in Little Brother for being too serious for a YA novel, but regardless it is profound in its delivery.

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Neuromancer by William Gibson

William Gibson revolutionized science fiction, and single-handedly coined the term Cyberspace with his debut novel Neuromancer. It’s crazy to think that this book is 33 years old; but it still holds up and some of its themes are relevant today. It’s a pretty descriptive book and requires the reader to pay attention to the details and not just follow a simple plot. Some readers may find it convoluted, and it may be difficult to set your mind into a 1984 rendition of cyber activity; but if you’re able to enjoy the Neuromancer for what it is, you’re in for something captivating. After all, this book is also the inspiration behind The Matrix movies.

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Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

Snow Crash has a similar style to the Neuromancer, in the sense that there is an artificial computer universe with a samurai sword wielding hero. This is a much more stylistic approach on Cyberpunk, with a very tongue-in-cheek overtone. Snow Crash is a drug that lives in the cyber world (known as the Metaverse) that affects the person behind the avatar in reality when viewed. This means Hiro Protagonist and his companion Y.T must to do something to stop it. Read my Snow Crash review right here.

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Zer0es by Chuck Wendig

I have to mention Zeroes because I’m currently reading it and loving it. It’s one of the most modern takes on hackers that I’ve found so it will be relatable to many. In Zeroes, the government enlists 5 small-time hacker criminals to do their bidding and escape prison. Eventually, the hackers learn about a sinister NSA program that has to be stopped before things get out of control.

That completes my list, but in case you’re interested, I’ve also written a cyberpunk / hacker novella of my own called Starfade. Find out more about Starfade here.