Cyberpunk, near future and dystopias

Snow Crash

“Stephenson's 1992 novel coined 'metaverse' and depicted a fragmented, privatised future internet decades before the concept was plausible. Andreessen has cited it alongside Cryptonomicon as one of the books that made him believe software would restructure not just commerce but sovereignty itself.”Marc Andreessen

The Diamond Age

“I adore Diamond Age" — a favorite sci-fi pick he cites repeatedly.”Bill Gurley

Cryptonomicon

“Stephenson's 1999 novel about cryptography, World War II codebreaking, and a fictional digital currency appears repeatedly in Andreessen's recommendations. He has described it as the book that made cryptocurrency feel inevitable — a rare case where a novel functioned as both a technical and philosophical blueprint.”Marc Andreessen