9 Essential Geek Books You Must Read Right Now

[Morrus]

The website Wired.com has posted a list of nine essential geek books you must read right now; and first on that list is the AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide by Gary Gygax.

The hallmark of the true geek is attention to detail, and this book provides it in tiny, sans-serif type over 240 pages. You don't even have to be an adventurer to enjoy the obsessiveness that fills every page. There are tips on Treatment of Prospective Henchman, a Pummeling Table (that's a chart, not furniture) and 20 types of insanity with detailed descriptions. Ostensibly a rules encyclopedia, the book really is a resource that gives people the tools to create entire worlds that their friends can explore and dream in.

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The rest of the list includes:

1. AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide (Gary Gygax)
2. Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
3. Watchmen (Alan Moore)
4. Godel, Escher, Bach (Douglas Hofstader)
5. Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card)
6. Snow Crash (Neal Stephenson)
7. The Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkein)
8. The Visual Display of Quantitative Information (Edward Tufte)
9. Neuromancer (William Gibson)

 

[Matt James]

I agree with four of the books listed. I'll have to check out one or two that I hadn't heard of. Where's Dune? It should have been listed

 

[Gaming Tonic]

I am so happy to see Watchmen get the attention that it truly deserves. The old DMG was filled with amazing charts that were way over the top as far as attention to detail goes. I loved it and if you went blind from reading it at least you had a club to beat off pick pockets. Hey Matt, you are right Dune is a miss on this list in my opinion, but Neuromancer made the cut, woohoo!

 

[DrZombie]

6/9, not bad

 

[Mark CMG]

R E Howard is missing, too. It's tough to get a broad spectrum. I can't say there is anything on the list that I would remove, though, so that's a good thing.

 

[dangerous jack]

7 of 9. Heh, and there's something geeky about that score too.

(Now I just need to add Neuromancer and Godel, Escher, Bach to my Christmas wishlist)

 

[marketingman]

I agree with Mark with the need further Howard entry in the listing. I believe that each game master is formed by their own list of mandatory books. Since game Masters pull from all areas of their knowledge to run and design their worlds.
Such as history, chemistry philosophy, and other areas of knowledge. Given time and knowledge to their personal and game mastering development. Each geek's also continues to read and add to their personal list.

 

[Bitter_Chivalry]

Extreme Geek Alert

Please can we spell his name right: it's TOLKIEN! Not TOLKEIN

 

[Dragonblade]

Neuromancer sucks and Snow Crash is way overrated among geek literati. If you are at all interested in the cyberpunk genre than watch the anime TV series Ghost in the Shell Standalone Complex. The sequel isn't bad either.

Ghost in the Shell is definitive of the cyberpunk genre, IMO. It is the standard by which all other cyberpunk works should be judged.

I'm not much of a Watchmen fan, either. I recognize it as a literary work that transcended superhero comics at the time, but I find Moore's commentary on society clumsy and disagree with some of his assertions and conclusions. I would replace Watchmen with Heinlein's Starship Troopers. Though I'm sure Watchmen fans would disagree with me.

I agree with the DMG, Hitchhiker's guide, Tolkien, and Ender's Game. Haven't read the others.

 

[Mark CMG]

I would replace Watchmen with Heinlein's Starship Troopers.

I grok your point but if Heinlein were to make the list I think Stranger in a Strange Land might be a stronger choice.