-r---: Escape

Escape (verb): to slip or get away, as from confinement or restraint; gain or regain liberty. - Dictionary.com

As we all continue to shelter in place and do our best to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our fellow human beings from this ongoing pandemic, things can start to feel heavy. The birds chirping outside sound like the mocking laughter of freedom. The grocery store seems like a warzone. And visiting your Grandma can cause an ethical and moral dilemma deep in your bones.

The shining light is fiction is still freedom. Between crisp pages are momentary distractions and other worlds filled with hope, lessons, technologically advanced motorcycles and unbridled social interaction.

Here are three favorites to help you escape the present, even if for a fleeting minute:

Daemon - Daniel Suarez

Written over 10 years ago, Daemon is a foundational hacker fiction novel. Part murder mystery, part incident response and part thriller, this book kept me on the edge of my seat. The technical details are spot on and often had me up at night thinking “well, in theory that could be done today using…” I devoured this book in 72 hours, even at around 500 pages it goes by in a blink. There are lessons steeped in modern times regarding surveillance, technology ethics, and the relationship between man and machine. At times the plot can read like your mom’s worst nightmare of the “darknet” and “hackers” mixed with InfoWars style messaging, but Suarez’ dedication to accuracy mixed with thriller will keep the pages turning. I highly recommend this as one of the first books you read in your hacking, technodystopian fiction journey.

Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson

Follow along with the most honorable protagonists of all time, Hiro Protagonist, through a mass marketed, hyperconnected future world. Snow Crash reads like an alternate reality of the 2000s brewed in early 90s cynicism. Skateboards with highway topping speeds and virtual binary viruses that affect the physical realm seem totally plausible and are completely gripping. I spent hours wishing I could harpoon my way to work or go build a virtual mansion while riding on a long car ride. Stephenson ties in additional themes and challenges us to question our view of who is good and who is bad, and if they are even wholly one or the other. The pacing of this book does tend to ebb and flow, and sometimes the writing feels a little herkie jerky, but toward midbook the plot drives you to finish, almost as if you are compelled by a force not your own.

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold - John le Carré

Take a trip back in time to Cold War Europe and try to guess what is going to happen next in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Every time I thought I knew what was happening and whodunnit, le Carré ripped the rug out from under me and took me on another chase. This book highlights the value of knowing your enemy, never getting to comfortable, and how powerful true power is. This classic espionage book is the aspiration of all other books in this genre. Peppered with a fraught love story as well, there is enough action and suspense to keep you hooked overnight. I will undoubtedly reread this book again and again, trying to tie all the red string together and highlight motives and actions before it is laid bare. This book will evoke a nostalgia and heartache for a time when you weren’t even alive and a storyline you will never experience.

Loved one of these books? Want to talk about a cliffhanger you can’t believe happened? Have something you think I should read? Email at lauren@laurenproehl.com or reach out on Twitter - @jotunvillur!