Novels for Nerds
(Updated 2023)
February 5, 2023Mostly I read technical books – books on programming – and books on Java in particular.
But now and then, when I get a good recommendation, I also read a novel. I want to recommend some of the books that fascinated me most.
(Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
by Gabrielle Zevin
“Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow Again” is the moving story of Sam and Sadie, two different yet similar characters who meet in a hospital as children and become friends.
It is a story about friendship, love, loss, creativity, success, and failure – set in the fascinating pioneering days of the video game industry in the 1990s, when a small group of programmers could still change the world.
The main characters are lovingly developed, and their relationships with each other are extremely deep and complex.
A captivating read, even for readers not interested in video games.
Suitable as an audiobook? Yes.
Ender’s Game
by Orson Scott Card
“Ender’s Game” is the first part of a science fiction epic by Orson Scott Card and is one of the best novels I’ve ever read.
The story takes place in the distant future. It is about a young boy, Andrew Wiggin, called Ender, who is, due to his extraordinary intellect, recruited for a military training program to defend Earth against a threatening invasion by an alien species.
During his training, Ender embarks on a profound emotional journey, grappling with questions of morality, ethics, and psychological stress.
I don’t want to give away any more of the plot now.
Ender’s Game has won numerous prestigious awards and is a major work of science fiction literature. Its success has spawned several follow-up novels – the first four parts are conveniently available as a set: The Ender Quartet.
Suitable as an audiobook? Yes, including the sequels.
Project Hail Mary
by Andy Weir
A man wakes up to find himself in a spaceship, light-years from Earth, with two dead bodies next to him. He can neither remember his name nor how and why he got into this spaceship or where it is flying to.
In several flashbacks, main character and reader alike gradually learn what happened.
And that's all I want to give away about the plot.
The novel contains numerous scientific-technical subtleties – for some readers, this might be going too far – for us programmers, it's just right :)
Be warned, though: the physical explanations are not always completely watertight. Sit back, enjoy the story, and don't try to get to the bottom of all the physical details.
All in all, it's an original, exciting, slightly humorous science fiction story that I recommend to every reader of this website.
Suitable as an audiobook? Yes, absolutely.
Seveneves
by Neal Stephenson
An epic science fiction story that feels like a work comprising several novels, and that captivated me from beginning to end. Something completely different than I’ve known before.
I don’t want to tell anything about the story so as not to take the tension away. I also recommend not reading the description on Amazon, because, in my opinion, it reveals too much. Barack Obama and Bill Gates both recommended this book.
The book has “only” 4.2 stars at Amazon – a rating that I cannot comprehend. Most readers criticize that the author describes technical correlations in too much detail. I liked that, and therefore, it is a definite recommendation for every other programmer.
Suitable as an audiobook? Yes.
The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win
by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, George Spafford
An entertaining and insightful story about the transformation of an old, traditional IT department into a modern agile DevOps team.
Bill is appointed head of the IT department and is to help the “Phoenix” IT project, which is under massive pressure from features and deadlines, to succeed. He is confronted with problems that many of us know only too well: Uncompleted features planned months in advance; manual deployments that go wrong and keep the operations department awake night after night; developers who blame operations and vice versa; employees who turn directly to developers – bypassing all processes. Bill has 90 days to fix the mess; otherwise, his department will be outsourced.
Suitable as an audiobook? Yes, absolutely.
The Unicorn Project: A Novel about Developers, Digital Disruption, and Thriving in the Age of Data
by Gene Kim
“The Unicorn Project” is set in the same location and time as “The Phoenix Project”. It tells the story not from a management point of view, but from the perspective of top programmer Maxine, who is transferred to the Phoenix project as punishment.
There she tries to compile the Phoenix project and encounters problems that most of us know only too well: lack of documentation about setting up the development environment, missing accesses, insufficient tests, non-existent build and deployment automation, inadequate infrastructure – both for testing and production.
Maxine's determination and perseverance help her get closer to her goal step by step. In doing so, she encounters a secret underground organization, the “Rebellion”, which has the goal of replacing outdated approaches with modern software development principles.
Like its predecessor, the book shows what is possible when a traditional company is open to the necessary changes of the digital age. It is entertaining, easy to read, and it is pleasant to meet some familiar characters again.
Suitable as an audiobook? Yes, absolutely.
Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives
by Dan Millman
“Way of the Peaceful Warrior” is the autobiographically inspired story of a young man – Dan Millman, a talented gymnast and college student who has everything he wishes for – yet feels empty inside and seeks guidance and a deeper meaning in life.
One night at a gas station, Dan meets a mysterious old man who seems to possess superhuman abilities. This encounter begins an adventurous journey during which the old man, Socrates, becomes Dan’s spiritual teacher and mentor.
Under Socrates’ years of training, hard work, and many setbacks, Dan learns to confront his fears, live in the moment, and ultimately find his own path, inner peace, and fulfillment.
The book is not only entertaining but deeply meaningful and inspiring. It encourages readers to rethink their way of life and embark on their own search for inner peace and fulfillment.
If you are interested in personal development and self-actualization and are looking for an inspirational novel, this book is perfect for you.
Suitable as an audiobook? Yes, absolutely.
Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior
by Dan Millman
“Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior” is the second part of the “Peaceful Warrior” series. However, it is not a continuation of the story but rather recounts a multi-month adventurous journey of the author, set roughly in the middle of “Way of the Peaceful Warrior.”
Mysterious allusions, deep from buried memories of his mentor Socrates, lead Dan into the depths of the Hawaiian rainforest, where he encounters the Kahuna healer Mama Chia.
On his journey, Dan meets old and new friends and learns through visions about different levels of consciousness, thereby facing his deepest fears. He is confronted with death and ultimately gains new spiritual insights and a deep connection to himself, his fellow human beings, and the world around him.
The book is as exciting and inspiring as the first part. I recommend it to everyone who has read “Way of the Peaceful Warrior” and is eager for more.
Suitable as an audiobook? Yes, absolutely.
The Journeys of Socrates: An Adventure
by Dan Millman
“The Journeys of Socrates: An Adventure” is the third novel in the “Peaceful Warrior” series – but chronologically set before the first part.
The book offers profound insights into the past of Dan’s spiritual mentor, Socrates, from his early childhood to the time when we met him in the first part.
We learn about the circumstances under which he grew up, his own rocky path to self-discovery and inner peace, and the price he had to pay to become the wise, peaceful warrior we know from the first book.
I don’t want to give much more away at this point. Just one more thing: the author finally reveals the secret of Socrates’ real name.
You can read this book at any point after the first part, whether it’s before “Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior” or after “The Hidden School.”
Like all the other books in the series, this one is adventurous, captivating, profound, and inspiring. It is a recommendation for anyone who has read “Way of the Peaceful Warrior” and wants to delve deeply into the story of Socrates.
Suitable as an audiobook? Yes, absolutely.
The Hidden School: Return of the Peaceful Warrior
by Dan Millman
“The Hidden School: Return of the Peaceful Warrior” is the fourth – and so far, the last – book in the “Peaceful Warrior” series of novels. It directly follows “Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior” and continues Dan’s journey of discovery towards spiritual enlightenment and personal growth.
In various locations, starting in Hawaii, through the Mojave Desert, Hong Kong, China, and finally Japan, Dan embarks on a quest to find his mentor’s lost diary and a mysterious secret school (ultimately a metaphor for the school of life).
During this journey, too, he encounters people through whom he gains new, profound insights into life and death – and into paradoxes, humor, and change.
Once again, the author succeeds in combining a captivating adventure story with the question of the deeper meaning of life, encouraging readers to explore this question for themselves.
Suitable as an audiobook? Yes, absolutely.