In 1984, American author William Gibson published Neuromancer, a novel that was to herald the arrival of a new and influential subgenre of science fiction: cyberpunk. So what is, or was, “cyberpunk”? Novels classified as cyberpunk are invariably set in a dystopian future, where the laws of an oppressive society are enforced by extensive computer technology. The “-punk” suffix refers to the heroes of the genre: lawless rebels who subvert the technological dominance of major corporations in order to scratch out an existance for themselves.

Adepressing and dangerous document has recently come into my possession. Calling itself 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, the briefest glance at this list is guaranteed to leave any self-styled literatus feeling profoundly inadequate. Perusing the inventory drew to attention how narrow reading habits can inevitably become: of the books cited, I had read barely a tenth. Worse still, the existence of at least half had passed me by entirely, and many of the featured authors were completely unfamiliar to me; any pretensions to eruditeness were swiftly shattered. But however stung my pride, initial crushing gloom swiftly gave way to a spirit of rebellion. Why must I read this particular collection of books, I fumed. On whose authority are these claims to canonicity based? It may have only been intended as a bit of fun, but examining the list had led me, in a manner strangely reminiscent of Carrie Bradshaw, to ask a vital question of myself, “If the time I have available for reading is ultimately limited by my lifespan, what books should I most profitably be reading?”