Several weeks ago, we looked at some cautionary tales about technology for young adults, and since then, we’ve gotten some perfect suggestions for similar adult fiction.

So, we present seven more scary tech stories—this time, for grownups.

The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon
Naysayers have been predicting the demise of the printed word for decades… so what happens when those predictions come true, and our handheld devices can read our minds?

 

 

 

 

 

Spiral by Paul McEuen
A physics professor incorporated real-life technology into this sci-fi thriller about a new “doomsday weapon” that takes biological warfare to new and scary frontiers.

 

 

 

 

 

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
Ice-Nine instantly turns water to solids, at a higher temperature than ice freezes—so, if it spreads, it would mean the end of life on earth. One of Vonnegut’s most readable books, and the perfect satire for lovers of dystopian fiction.

 

 

 

 

The Internet Is Not the Answer by Andrew Keen
Facts can be scarier than fiction. In this new work of nonfiction, Keen explores the downsides of our constant connectivity, from the Internet’s earliest days in the 1960s to the present.

 

 

 

 

 

Ripper by Isabel Allende
An online role-playing game bleeds into a real-life series of murders, and a teen gamer is called into service to help solve the crime. A fun, tingly change of pace from Allende’s magical realism.

 

 

 

 

Prey by Michael Crichton
This tale of nanotechnology gone very, very wrong tells the story of eight scientists kept captive in a desert lab by a swarm of malevolent particles. The book was first released in 2002 and reprinted over a decade later, partly because of its continued (frightening) relevance.

 

 

 

 

Who Owns the Future?  by Jaron Lanier
The book explores the negative impact of digital network technologies on the economy and particularly the middle class, citing challenges to employment and personal wealth while exploring the potential of a new information economy.

 

 

 

 

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your picks, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend.

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