Stouthart
First Post
Well, Neuromancer is the classic starting point, and its sequel (Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive) are excellent as well. I'd also look for Burning Chrome, a short-story collection that includes Johnny Mnemonic and a number of other stories in the same universe. After that? Snow Crash, When Gravity Fails, and River of Gods. I'd throw in Rainbow's End, by Vernor Vinge, as well.
There's a very fine line between cyberpunk and "AI" fiction. Neuromancer and Snow Crash fall on the hacker end; River of Gods and Rainbow's End are on the other. When Gravity Fails is somewhere in between.
When Gravity Fails is probably an excellent resource for a cyberpunk campaign, now that I think about it. The characters are a lot grittier and lower-class than the other books go (transgendered prostitute dancers, thugs, and crooks, among others). It's the first book in a series, but the strongest and stands well alone.
I agree with Nellisir on these recommendations. I would also add the Takeshi Kovacs novels by Richard K. Morgan. Especially the first one, Altered Carbon- one of my favorite cyberpunk novels.
And while not strictly cyberpunk, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline does take place almost exclusively in a virtual universe (i.e.cyberspace.) Very fun read, doubly so if you are a child of the 80s.
Stouthart