20 Must-Read Books for Nerds

Until recently, nerdiness was considered an undesirable trait by many. In popular culture, “nerds” often demonstrate a lack of social skills, obnoxious intelligence, obsessive behaviors, and overall ugliness.

But the growing interest in all things considered nerdy (e.g. Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, superhero movies, etc.) has transformed the term into something lovable and positive. What were once niche interests have become mainstream entertainment. Nerdom is now king in many industries, including film, television, board games, and books.

Books for Nerds

It’s time to finally embrace your inner nerdiness—there’s a little bit in all of us! These 20 books will satisfy your nerdy interests and get you thinking about life, the universe, and more.

1. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Asimov was considered one of the Big Three science fiction writers during his lifetime, alongside Arthur C. Clarke and Robert A. Heinlein. As a member of Mensa, a professor in biochemistry, and author of a whole science-fiction series focused on math, it’s safe to say he’s quite the respected nerd.

I, Robot is a collection of short stories that follow robopsychologist Susan Calvin and her experiences in researching the aberrant behaviors of robots and the use of “robopsychology” to fix these anomalies. It focuses on the morality involved in human-robot interactions as robots grow more and more human-like. This is the book that introduced the Three Laws of Robotics, a set of fictional laws that influenced how robots are portrayed in various media.

2. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Originally starting out as a radio broadcast, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy quickly became a bible of sorts for the nerd community. Delving into the science world with a quirky, mad scientist-humor, this book is a romp around the universe in an attempt to find the answer to life, the universe, and everything. The answer? 42.

Arthur Dent suddenly finds himself homeless (and planetless) when the Vogons, an alien species, demolish Earth to make way for an intergalactic bypass. What follows is a whimsical adventure involving different alien cultures, diverse characters (who, let’s be honest, seem to be in a state of perpetual crazy), and of course, lunch at The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

3. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

A fairly recent addition to the nerd archives, Ready Player One is set on the OASIS, a massive virtual world where everything can happen, and everyone can be anyone. The setting alone is a massive nerd dream, with places where magic, robots, dragons, and every nerd’s dream are available.

Wade Watts is your average teen. He lives with his aunt in the slums, attends school at the OASIS, and spends the rest of his time researching 80s and 90s pop culture in the hopes of finding clues to the Egg Hunt, which was left by the OASIS’s creator upon his death. Everything changes when he finds the first clue and becomes famous throughout the OASIS.

4. Snow Crash by Neal Thompson

Snow Crash distinguishes itself as one of Time magazine’s 100 all-time best English-language novels written since 1923. Covering history, linguistics, computer science, politics, and philosophy, it’s a fairly daunting, but very enjoyable read. It’s credited with popularizing the term “avatar” to describe online virtual characters, and is claimed to be the inspiration for Google Earth.

Hiro Protagonist is a hacker and pizza delivery guy, for the mafia no less. When a computer virus that can seemingly affect the real world and control people appears, Hiro takes it upon himself to investigate and eradicate its growing threat.

5. Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson

Gardens of the Moon is the first book of the Malazan series, an epic dark fantasy with strong military tones. The world of Malazan is bleak and unforgiving, yet never quite becomes grimdark or nihilistic. Though difficult to read due to the frequent in medias res scene setting and complex worldbuilding, the payoff is huge when everything starts to click as you progress in reading.

Gardens of the Moon focuses on the Malazan Empire’s conquest over the Free Cities of Pale and Darujhistan, and the experiences of the Bridgeburners, a legendary infantry unit. Substantial subplots that include certain individuals, gods, and a large amount of backstabbing and backroom plotting run parallel with the main storyline, creating an engrossing story that’s hard to set aside.

6. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett

The Color of Magic is the first book of the Discworld series and a longtime favorite of the nerd community. This is a book that often makes light-hearted fun of fantasy cliches and subgenres, but also lends serious thoughts on real-world issues like racial prejudice, religion, business, and politics.

Rincewind is a cynical wizard with no skill and zero interest in heroics. A series of events finds him yoked to Twoflower, a naive insurance clerk from a powerful empire. They embark on a journey, unaware that their adventures are in fact a board game played by the gods of the Disworld.

7. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

Jules Verne was way ahead of his time when he conjured up the Nautilus, a fearsome submarine that could be compared to the submarines of today. This story was written in a time when most of the technology described in the book (e.g., Captain Nemo’s diving gear, electricity, and the submarine) was either non-existent or still a developing innovation. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea could be considered a foundational work of science fiction.

Professor Pierre Aronnax and companions find themselves imprisoned on the Nautilus, created and captained by Captain Nemo who is on a self-imposed exile from terrestrial civilization. The novel follows their adventures, misadventures, and eventual escape and reintroduction to society.

8. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Often compared to George Orwell’s 1984, Brave New World tackles a dystopian society where reproduction and social class have become something akin to an assembly line. From birth, some people are indoctrinated to believe that their class is superior, while other classes perform essential functions and any unnecessary emotion is suppressed by drugs.

The novel follows characters with extremely different backgrounds trying to cope with a life that was forced upon them. Bernard is a psychologist and part of the Alpha class, but suffers from an inferiority complex because he is shorter than the average alpha. Lenina is a promiscuous and beautiful “fetus technician” and part of the 30% of women who aren’t sterile. John is considered a savage, having grown in a “Savage Reservation” that closely resembles contemporary native American culture.

9. Dune by Frank Herbert

Dune is one of those books considered to be a “gateway” to the science fiction genre. It’s set in the distant future, in a feudal interstellar society where nobles have fiefs that consist of whole planets.

Paul Atreides and his family are given stewardship of the planet Arrakis. Though dangerous and inhospitable, Arrakis is the only source of a drug that can extend life, enhance mental abilities, and is necessary for space navigation. Stewardship of Arrakis is then a dangerous and sought-after position. The novel follows the political, religious, technological, and ecological struggle that occurs as various factions vie for control over Arrakis and the drug.

10. Neuromancer by William Gibson

Neuromancer is an early and definitive work of the cyberpunk genre, frequently detailing the amalgamation of technology with the human body. The book won the Nebula award, Philip K. Dick Award, and Hugo Award, which was an unprecedented achievement at the time.

Henry Dorsett Case was once a talented hacker who was caught stealing from his employer, resulting in his central nervous system being damaged and leaving him unable to access the “matrix,” a virtual reality dataspace as a punishment. An opportunity to fix his central nervous system makes him accept a commission that propels him into a world of murder and intrigue.

11. The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

The first book to the Mistborn series, The Final Empire introduces the concept of magic based on solid scientific knowledge, often referencing scientific rules (albeit in a more fantasy-esque description). Magic in the world of Scadrial is depicted as physical and mental abilities tied to different metals. For example, brass dampens emotions, while Zinc is used to inflame them; steel and Iron are used to push and pull metal respectively, and so on.

The book follows Kelsier, the “Survivor of Hathsin,” and his group of “allomancers,” people who gain powers from ingesting metal, and their quest to destroy the Lord Ruler, an oppressive and near-mythical figure.

12. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Ender’s Game is a military science fiction novel set in a distant future where humankind is in constant conflict with an insectoid alien race called Formics. In preparation for a third invasion, children are conscripted and trained at a young age to become commanders capable of winning against the “buggers.”

Ender Wiggins is one such child, who quickly establishes his genius in tactical warfare. The novel chronicles his growth as a child and as a soldier, emphasizing the depression he feels as his trainers constantly manipulate and isolate him in their belief of creating a person capable of ending the war.

13. 1984 by George Orwell

If Brave New World focuses on pleasure, then 1984 is all about pain and brute force being used to control the populace. It depicts a society where the “Party” conceals the truth and nonconformists are brutally put down in the name of everyone’s “wellbeing.”

The novel chronicles the journey of Winston Smith, a rank-and-file worker at the Ministry of Truth, where he rewrites historical records to conform to the state’s ideals. He secretly hates the Party’s rule and often dreams of rebellion, going so far as to search for people who are willing to overthrow the state.

14. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Lord of the Rings has shaped fantasy, and by extension, science fiction, to what it is today. It’s the biggest nerd bible in the nerd archives. Though published in 1954, it’s still considered a must-read and a standard for the genre.

The book follows the journey of the Fellowship in their quest to the destroy the One Ring and prevent the Dark Lord Sauron from consolidating his power and bringing darkness to Middle-Earth. In particular, it showcases Frodo, an average hobbit who’s suddenly thrown into a conflict more suited to kings, wizards, and other Powers.

15. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

Who doesn’t know Harry Potter? It’s the book series that caused a modern fantasy renaissance, spawning a billion-dollar franchise of films, plays, and merchandise. It’s also responsible for an entire generation of kids growing up and wanting to be wizards.

It chronicles the adventures of the titular character and his growth and maturity as he learns more about the wizarding world, as well as his ongoing fight against Voldemort and the Dark Arts.

16. Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke

In a time when the general populace was still caught up with the Cold War and violence was the standard practice of conquest, Childhood’s End makes a bold statement of using kindness as a way of killing.

In the story, aliens take up management of Earth, bringing in a golden age of prosperity and peace. After countless wars, utopia is finally achieved. But things quickly get boring as human creativity and innovation stagnate since there’s really no point in struggling to live.

17. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

The first book in the Wheel of Time series, The Eye of the World heavily draws inspiration on European and Asian concepts, including Christianity and the cyclical nature of time (hence the series title). In it, there is a great cosmic loom that weaves the Great Pattern, where Light is always destined to clash with the Dark.

Rand Al’Thor, a simple village boy finds himself thrown into an ages-old conflict encompassing the cosmos when he is identified as the Dragon Reborn, the Champion of Light in the war against Darkness.

18. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

First in the His Dark Materials series, this book offers a pretty realistic allegory of the real world. Deep and brutal views on politics and religion make it a difficult read for most, but solid worldbuilding and character development make it a great book for dystopian enthusiasts. If you’re into Harry Potter but looking for something darker, then this it.

The series follow the coming-of-age of Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry as they traipse through parallel worlds, all the while being chased by the Magisterium, the series’ version of the Church.

19. The Stand by Stephen King

A post-apocalyptic dark fantasy, The Stand is King’s attempt at writing an epic on the same level as Lord of the Rings, and it certainly delivers.

Set in contemporary America, an epidemic is caused by a weaponized strain of influenza, decimating the world’s population. The book deals with various groups of survivors, who create new social systems and go to war with one another.

20. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

First in the A Song of Ice and Fire series (considered by many to be on par with Lord of the Rings), this book deals with a darker world full of violence, backstabbing, and a whole other level of realism. This is a fantasy read without rose-colored glasses that regularly kills your favorite characters. Don’t let that put you off though, because the plot and worldbuilding more than make up for that.

A Game of Thrones juggles a lot of storylines, from the war for the Iron Throne, to the return of a long-exiled family, and the re-emergence of a worldly threat from the North.

Science Fiction and Fantasy

You’ll notice these books are mostly in the science fiction and fantasy genre because, let’s face it, that has long been the domain of Nerdom. Though outlandish and unrealistic for some, a lot of these books deal with extremely deep subjects related to science, history, philosophy, and the general meaning of life.

It’s no surprise to find that a lot of nerds are scholars, scientists, historians, or work in related fields. One characteristic they share is the curiosity about what once was, and what will be. These kinds of books give them the opportunity to exercise that curiosity.

Whether you’re a self-proclaimed nerd, geek, or dork, these books are guaranteed to keep you thinking about worlds of possibilities.

Do you have a favorite book to read? Share your picks in the comments below!

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