Two of my top ten books of the last decade are Cheap Complex Devices and Acts of the Apostles by John (Compton|F.X.) Sundman. These are two of the richest and most complex pieces of fiction produced in a contemporary, technically proficient vein. He has written only two books, but he has a mastery of literary structure that takes you by surprise. They mangled my mind.
I suggest starting with Acts of the Apostles (ded tree, free pdf). This is presented as a very straightforward Neal Stephenson or Crichton thriller, like Snow Crash or Sphere. Very readable and engaging, with a few tech industry in-jokes to make a nerd feel like a war veteran (DEC, Microsoft, Sun, and their respective personalities appear under aliases). It's been described as “What Tom Clancy would write if he were smart.”
After you've enjoyed that you can graduate to Cheap Complex Devices (ded tree, free pdf). This is not standard genre fiction, and you might not be sure what you're dealing with. The author's notes, the stories, and the meta-story combine in your head to produce an interference pattern. Which of the three versions are you supposed to believe? Perhaps none of the above. I can't compare this to anything I've read before or since.
I first bought Acts when I saw the story on Slashdot back in 2000. Then I bought it again two years ago. Both are available for download, but you may find you want the real thing (CCD is a little different in print). They are self-published, and the author provides quite a backstory – but can you really believe him?
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