Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (1992)

While it technically slides just past 1990, Snow Crash is pure late-’80s spirit — wild, satirical, and prophetic. In a hyper-commercialized future America, a hacker/pizza delivery guy (yes, really) and a teenage skateboard courier uncover a virtual virus infecting both minds and machines. Stephenson’s world is absurdly detailed and darkly funny, packed with sword fights, linguistics, and corporate dystopia. It reads like cyberpunk turned up to 11 — witty, weird, and way ahead of its time.

Rating: 4.5/5