1990s action action-adventure action-packed adventure african-american african-american-experience african-american-literature ai alienation alternate-history alternate-reality ambition american-dream american-literature ancient-sumerian apocalyptic artificial-intelligence betrayal black-experience brotherhood capitalism career civil-rights class-struggle classic classic-literature coding coming-of-age computer computer-hacking computer-industry computer-programming computer-science computer-virus computer-viruses conformity conspiracy conspiracy-theories conspiracy-theory corporate-control corporate-culture corporate-life corporate-power corporate-world coupland cult cult-classic cults cyber-terrorism cyberpunk dark-humor digital-age digital-revolution discrimination disillusionment douglas dystopia dystopian dystopian-future dystopian-society entrepreneurship escapism evolution existentialism exploration fantasy freedom friendship future future-society future-technology futurism futuristic futuristic-technology geek-culture geeks generation-x h.g.-wells hacker hacker-culture hackers hacking harlem harlem-renaissance heros-journey hiro-protagonist human-evolution human-nature humanity humor identity identity-crisis imagination individualism individuality information-overload information-warfare innovation internet internet-boom invention invisibility invisible isolation japanese-culture jazz language linguistic linguistic-virus linguistics love memetics metafiction metaverse microserfs microsoft mind-altering-drugs mind-bending mind-control modernism morality mystery mythology nanotechnology neal-stephenson nerd-culture nerds neurolinguistics office-culture office-life office-politics oppression personal-growth philosophical philosophy pop-culture post-apocalyptic postmodern power power-dynamics prejudice programming progress protagonist race racism relationships religion samurai satire satirical science science-fiction scientific-discovery scientific-exploration segregation self-discovery silicon-valley snow-crash social-class social-commentary social-criticism social-hierarchy social-inequality social-injustice social-justice social-media society software software-development speculative-fiction start-up start-up-culture start-ups startup-culture startups stereotypes survival sword-fighting swordfighting symbolism tech-industry technological-advancements technology thriller time-manipulation time-travel underground underground-society utopia victorian-era victorian-literature virtual-reality virtual-world work-life-balance workplace workplace-culture workplace-dynamics world-building