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The Best Books About Or Featuring Virtual Reality

“What are the best books about Virtual Reality?” We looked at 160 of the top Virtual Reality books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 11 titles, all appearing on 3 or more “Best Virtual Reality” book lists, are ranked below by how many lists they appear on. The remaining 125+ titles, as well as the lists we used are in alphabetical order at the bottom of the page.

Happy Scrolling!



Top 11 Best Virtual Reality Books



11 .) Daemon written by Daniel Suarez

Daemon

Lists It Appears On:

  • Goodreads
  • Haptic
  • Upload VR

In a near-future run by thousands of autonomous computer programs that control the world’s wireless networks, a dormant program activates in the wake of a legendary game designer’s premature death and launches a sinister effort to dismantle society and enforce a new world order



10 .) Ender’s Game written by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game

Lists It Appears On:

  • Goodreads
  • Haptic
  • Upload VR

Andrew “Ender” Wiggin thinks he is playing computer simulated war games; he is, in fact, engaged in something far more desperate. The result of genetic experimentation, Ender may be the military genius Earth desperately needs in a war against an alien enemy seeking to destroy all human life. The only way to find out is to throw Ender into ever harsher training, to chip away and find the diamond inside, or destroy him utterly. Ender Wiggin is six years old when it begins. He will grow up fast. But Ender is not the only result of the experiment. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway almost as long. Ender’s two older siblings, Peter and Valentine, are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. While Peter was too uncontrollably violent, Valentine very nearly lacks the capability for violence altogether. Neither was found suitable for the military’s purpose. But they are driven by their jealousy of Ender, and by their inbred drive for power. Peter seeks to control the political process, to become a ruler.



9 .) Erebos written by Ursula Poznanski

Erebos

Lists It Appears On:

  • Goodreads
  • Haptic
  • Upload VR

Erebos ist ein Computerspiel, das an einer Londoner Schule als Raubkopie von Schüler zu Schüler herumgereicht wird; wer es einmal spielt, wird “süchtig” danach. Die Spielregeln sind rigide: Jeder hat nur eine Chance, Erebos zu spielen; wer stirbt, fliegt raus und kann nicht wieder zurück ins Spiel; Spieler dürfen mit niemandem darüber reden und müssen immer allein sein, wenn sie spielen, und auch wer gegen diese Spielregeln verstößt, fliegt ohne die Chance auf Rückkehr in die virtuelle Welt von Erebos. Fortgeschrittenen Spielern stellt das Erebos Aufgaben, und die werden nicht in der virtuellen, sondern in der tatsächlichen Realität erledigt, und so verschwimmen die Fiktion des Spiels und die Realität mit zunehmender “Verweildauer” im Spiel. Nick is one of the students at the London School; he too gets into the virtual world of Erebos, and he too becomes addicted to it, but then the game orders him a very real murder …



8 .) Heir Apparent written by Vivian Vande Velde

Heir Apparent

Lists It Appears On:

  • Goodreads
  • Haptic
  • Upload VR

In the virtual reality game Heir Apparent, there are way too many ways to get killed–and Giannine seems to be finding them all. Which is a darn shame, because unless she can get the magic ring, locate the stolen treasure, answer the dwarf’s dumb riddles, impress the head-chopping statue, charm the army of ghosts, fend off the barbarians, and defeat the man-eating dragon, she’ll never win. And she has to, because losing means she’ll die–for real this time.



7 .) Neuromancer written by William Gibson

Neuromancer

Lists It Appears On:

  • Goodreads
  • Haptic
  • Upload VR

Winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick Awards Case was the sharpest data thief in the Matrix, until an ex-employer crippled his nervous system. Now a new employer has recruited him for a last-chance run against an unthinkably powerful artificial intelligence. With a mirror-eyed girl street-samurai riding shotgun, he’s ready for the silicon-quick, bleakly prophetic adventure that upped the ante on an entire genre of fiction.



6 .) Oculus Rift in Action written by several authors

Oculus Rift in Action

Lists It Appears On:

  • 3D Coil
  • Briovr
  • Virtual Reality Pop

The Oculus Rift is an exciting next generation VR headset developed by OculusVR. Whether it’s in a game, an architectural walk-through, or a teaching simulation, the goal of any immersive virtual reality experience is making users feel like they’re in the middle of the action. With precise, high-quality optics and a flexible programmatic interface, the Rift provides real-life field of view and head tracking hardware for natural interaction that finally nails the feeling of being there. Oculus Rift in Action introduces the powerful Oculus Rift headset and teaches you how to integrate its many features into 3D games and other virtual reality experiences. You’ll start by understanding the capabilities of the Rift hardware. Then you’ll follow interesting and instantly-relevant examples that walk you through programming real applications using the Oculus SDK.



5 .) Rainbows End written by Verner Vinge

Rainbows End

Lists It Appears On:

  • Goodreads
  • Haptic
  • Upload VR

Robert Gu is a recovering Alzheimer’s patient. The world that he remembers was much as we know it today. Now, as he regains his faculties through a cure developed during the years of his near-fatal decline, he discovers that the world has changed and so has his place in it. He was a world-renowned poet. Now he is seventy-five years old, though by a medical miracle he looks much younger, and he’s starting over, for the first time unsure of his poetic gifts. Living with his son’s family, he has no choice but to learn how to cope with a new information age in which the virtual and the real are a seamless continuum, layers of reality built on digital views seen by a single person or millions, depending on your choice. But the consensus reality of the digital world is available only if, like his thirteen-year-old granddaughter Miri, you know how to wear your wireless access—through nodes designed into smart clothes—and to see the digital context—through smart contact lenses. With knowledge comes risk. When Robert begins to re-train at Fairmont High, learning with other older people what is second nature to Miri and other teens at school, he unwittingly becomes part of a wide-ranging conspiracy to use technology as a tool for world domination. In a world where every computer chip has Homeland Security built-in, this conspiracy is something that baffles even the most sophisticated security analysts, including Robert’s son and daughter-in law, two top people in the U.S. military. And even Miri, in her attempts to protect her grandfather, may be entangled in the plot. As Robert becomes more deeply involved in conspiracy, he is shocked to learn of a radical change planned for the UCSD Geisel Library; all the books there, and worldwide, would cease to physically exist. He and his fellow re-trainees feel compelled to join protests against the change. With forces around the world converging on San Diego, both the conspiracy and the protest climax in a spectacular moment as unique and satisfying as it is unexpected.



4 .) Solarversia written by Toby Downton

Solarversia

Lists It Appears On:

  • Goodreads
  • Haptic
  • Upload VR

Solarversia is the story of an epic year-long game played by 100 million people inside a virtual world modelled on the real world Solar System. Given three lives, three vehicles, and told to master The Science of Solarversia to stand a chance of winning, players compete for the £10m grand prize, and the chance to help design the next game, starting in 2024. Nova Negrahnu and her friends Burner and Sushi cannot wait to start playing. But when an international terrorist organisation sets its sights on the game and it’s creator, Nova finds her life turned upside down, as the line between simulation and reality blurs. Can she navigate between playing the game, coping with all the issues an eighteen-year-old girl faces and avoid the very real and present danger mounting outside Solaversia?



3 .) The Diamond Age written by Neal Stephenson

The Diamond Age

Lists It Appears On:

  • Goodreads
  • Haptic
  • Upload VR

The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer is a postcyberpunk novel by Neal Stephenson. It is to some extent a science fiction coming-of-age story, focused on a young girl named Nell, and set in a future world in which nanotechnology affects all aspects of life. The novel deals with themes of education, social class, ethnicity, and the nature of artificial intelligence.



2 .) Learning Virtual Reality: Developing Immersive Experiences and Applications for Desktop, Web, and Mobile written by Tony Parisi

Learning Virtual Reality: Developing Immersive Experiences and Applications for Desktop, Web, and Mobile

Lists It Appears On:

  • 3D Coil
  • ARPost
  • Briovr
  • QZ
  • Virtual Reality Pop

As virtual reality approaches mainstream consumer use, a vibrant development ecosystem has emerged in the past few years. This hands-on guide takes you through VR development essentials for desktop, mobile, and browser-based applications. You’ll explore the three go-to platforms–OculusVR, Gear VR, and Cardboard VR–as well as several VR development environments, programming tools, and techniques. If you’re an experienced programmer familiar with mobile development, this book will help you gain a working knowledge of VR development through clear and simple examples. Once you create a complete application in the final chapter, you’ll have a jumpstart on the next major entertainment medium. Learn VR basics for UI design, 3D graphics, and stereo rendering Explore Unity3D, the current development choice among game engines Create native applications for desktop computers with the Oculus Rift Develop mobile applications for Samsung’s Gear VR with the Android and Oculus Mobile SDKs Build browser-based applications with the WebVR Javascript API and WebGL Create simple and affordable mobile apps for any smartphone with Google’s Cardboard VR Bring everything together to build a 360-degree panoramic photo viewer



1 .) Snow Crash written by Neal Stephenson

Snow Crash

Lists It Appears On:

  • Book Trust
  • Goodreads
  • Haptic
  • QZ
  • Upload VR

In reality, Hiro Protagonist delivers pizza for Uncle Enzo’s CosoNostra Pizza Inc., but in the Metaverse he’s a warrior prince. Plunging headlong into the enigma of a new computer virus that’s striking down hackers everywhere, he races along the neon-lit streets on a search-and-destroy mission for the shadowy virtual villain threatening to bring about infocalypse. Snow Crash is a mind-altering romp through a future America so bizarre, so outrageous… you’ll recognize it immediately.




The 125+ Additional Best Books About Or Featuring Virtual Reality



#BooksAuthorsLists
12AlterWorld: Play to Live. A LitRPG SeriesD. RusUpload VR
Goodreads
13ArmadaErnest ClineHaptic
Goodreads
14
Augmented Human: How Technology Is Shaping the New Reality
 Hub Stop
Briovr
15
Augmented Reality: Principles and Practice (Usability)
 Hub Stop
Briovr
16BluescreenDan WellsGoodreads
Haptic
17BrasylIan McDonaldHaptic
Upload VR
18City of Golden ShadowTad WilliamsGoodreads
Upload VR
19DisclosureMichael CrichtonHaptic
Upload VR
20Donnerjack Haptic
Upload VR
21ElusionClaudia GabelGoodreads
Haptic
22EpicConor KostickHaptic
Goodreads
23Feersum EndjinIain M. BanksUpload VR
Haptic
24Halting StateCharles StrossHaptic
Upload VR
25HeadcrashBruce BethkeHaptic
Upload VR
26In Real LifeCory DoctorowHaptic
Goodreads
27InsigniaS.J. KincaidGoodreads
Haptic
28KillobytePiers AnthonyHaptic
Upload VR
29Lock InJohn ScalziHaptic
Goodreads
30Masters of DoomDavid Kushner3D Coil
QZ
31OtherworldJason SegelGoodreads
Book Trust
32Permutation CityGreg Egan (Subjective Cosmology #2)Haptic
Upload VR
33Ready Player OneErnest ClineGoodreads
Upload VR
34RimAlexander BesherUpload VR
Haptic
35SagaConor KostickHaptic
Goodreads
36Simulacron-3Daniel F. GalouyeHaptic
Upload VR
37Surface DetailIain M. Banks (Culture #9)Haptic
Upload VR
38Tea from an Empty CupPat CadiganHaptic
Upload VR
39The Eye of MindsJames DashnerGoodreads
Upload VR
40The Fourth TransformationRobert Scoble & Shel Israel3D Coil
Briovr
41The Futurological CongressStanislaw LemUpload VR
Haptic
42The Hacker and the AntsRudy RuckerHaptic
Upload VR
43The Reality BugD.J. MacHale (Pendragon #4)Upload VR
Haptic
44The Three Stigmata of Palmer EldritchPhilip K. DickHaptic
Upload VR
45The Three-Body ProblemLiu CixinGoodreads
Upload VR
46The VR Book: Human Centered Design for Virtual RealityJason Jerald
Virtual Reality Pop
3D Coil
47Tomorrow and TomorrowThomas SweterlitschHaptic
Upload VR
48Virtual LightWilliam Gibson (Bridge #1)Haptic
Upload VR
49Virtual Reality AnalyticsJoerg Osarek3D Coil
ARPost
50Virtual Reality For BeginnersMurray Ramirez3D Coil
ARPost
51
Virtual Reality Insider: Guidebook for the VR Industry
 ARPost
Briovr
52WarcrossMarie LuGoodreads
Book Trust
53We Can Remember It For You WholesalePhilip K. DickHaptic
Upload VR
54A Christmas Carol Signature reads
55A Game of Thrones Signature reads
56A Virtual DreamBrent RothGoodreads
57AccelerandoCharles StrossUpload VR
58An Elephant in our Garden Appreal VR
59
Animal Kingdom Education Book
 Appreal VR
60ArenaHolly JenningsGoodreads
61At the Mountains of Madness Signature reads
62
Augmented Reality: A Practical Guide
 Hub Stop
63
Augmented Reality: Innovative Perspectives across Art, Industry, and Academia
 Hub Stop
64
Augmented Reality: Where We Will All Live
 Briovr
65
Awaken Online: Catharsis by Travis Bagwell
 Book Trust
66Better than LifeGrant Naylor (Red Dwarf #2)Upload VR
67Better than Life (Red Dwarf) Haptic
68
Cardboard VR Projects for Android
 Briovr
69CatalystS.J. KincaidGoodreads
70
Caverns and Creatures (4 books series)
 Haptic
71
Color Alive Series – Augmented Reality Coloring Books
 Appreal VR
72Complete Atopia Chronicles Haptic
73Count ZeroWilliam GibsonGoodreads
74Dawn of the New EverythingJaron Lanier3D Coil
75
Defying Reality: The Inside Story of the Virtual Reality Revolution
 Briovr
76
Developing Virtual Reality Applications: Foundations of Effective Design
 Briovr
77Edge of RealityAndrei LivadnyGoodreads
78Everywhere But No PlaceMark Foster (Messages from the Unseen World #1)Upload VR
79For The Win Haptic
80
Getting Started with React VR: Build immersive Virtual Reality apps for the web with React
 Briovr
81Ghosts of ARCADIARamsey IslerUpload VR
82
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 Signature reads
83
Holistic Game Development with Unity: An All-in-One Guide to Implementing Game Mechanics, Art, Design and Programming
 
Virtual Reality Pop
84
Horrible Hauntings: An Augmented Reality Collection of Ghosts and Ghouls
 Appreal VR
85House of Leaves Signature reads
86Human PlusDavid Simpson (Post-Human #4)Upload VR
87Inferno: Play to Live. A LitRPG SeriesD. RusGoodreads
88Infinite Jest Signature reads
89InfoquakeDavid Edelman (Jump 225 #1)Upload VR
90Introduction to Virtual Reality Briovr
91
iStorm: Wild Weather and Other Forces of Nature
 Appreal VR
92
Jack Hunter: The French Connection
 Appreal VR
93
Making Sense of Space: The Design and Experience of Virtual Spaces as a Tool for Communication (Chandos Information Professional Series)
 Briovr
94
Marketing New Realities: An Introduction to Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality Marketing, Branding, & Communications
 Briovr
95Mirror World (3 book series) Haptic
96
Mortality Doctrine (3 book series)
 Haptic
97Mountain of Black GlassTad WilliamsGoodreads
98Murder on the Orient Express Signature reads
99Otherland (4 book series) Haptic
100Phantom Server (3 book series) Haptic
101Play To Live (7 book series) Haptic
102
Practical Augmented Reality: A Guide to the Technologies, Applications and Human Factors for AR and VR (Usability)
 Hub Stop
103Presence Haptic
104Project Daily GrindAlexey OsadchukGoodreads
105ReamdeNeal StephensonUpload VR
106
Red Cell, White Cell: A STEM Based Augmented Reality Book
 Appreal VR
107River of Blue FireTad WilliamsGoodreads
108
Rocks In My Socks: Children’s Story Book with 3D Augmented Reality Activities
 Appreal VR
109SchismatrixBruce SterlingUpload VR
110Schismatrix Plus Haptic
111Sea of Silver LightTad WilliamsGoodreads
112Seveneves Haptic
113Sleep Sweet Appreal VR
114
Storytelling for Virtual Reality: Methods and Principles for Crafting Immersive Narratives
 Briovr
115Survival QuestVasily MahanenkoGoodreads
116
Tagme3D: Augmented Reality Books
 Appreal VR
117Terminal Connection Haptic
118The Atopia ChroniclesMathew MatherUpload VR
119The BattleD. RusGoodreads
120The Clan: Play to Live. A LitRPG SeriesD. RusGoodreads
121The Demi-Monde: Winter Haptic
122
The Dragon’s Wrath (3 book series)
 Haptic
123The Dueling MachineBen BovaUpload VR
124The Duty: Play to Live. A LitRPG SeriesD. RusGoodreads
125The Fellowship of the Ring Signature reads
126The GameTerry SchottGoodreads
127The Game of LivesJames DashnerGoodreads
128The Great Gatsby Signature reads
129The Judas MandalaDamien Broderick (The Faustus Hexagram #2)Upload VR
130The Kartoss GambitVasily MahanenkoGoodreads
131The LevellerJulia DurangoGoodreads
132The Metaphysics of Virtual RealityMichael Heim3D Coil
133The Rule of ThoughtsJames DashnerGoodreads
134The Shining Signature reads
135The Terminal ConnectionDan NeedlesUpload VR
136The Three Body Problem Haptic
137The UltimationD. RusGoodreads
138
The VR Book: Human-Centered Design for Virtual Reality
 Briovr
139The War: Play to Live. A LitRPG SeriesD. RusGoodreads
140
The Way of the Shaman (4 book series)
 Haptic
141Trading RealityMichael RidpathUpload VR
142True NamesVerner VingeUpload VR
143
Understanding Augmented Reality: Concepts and Applications
 Briovr
144Understanding MoviesRaphael ShargeQZ
145Unity Virtual Reality Projects 
Virtual Reality Pop
146UploadMark McClellandUpload VR
147User Unfriendly Haptic
148v Haptic
149
Virtual & Augmented Reality For Dummies
 Briovr
150
Virtual Reality and the Built Environment
 Briovr
151
Virtual Reality Blueprints: Create compelling VR experiences for mobile and desktop
 Briovr
152Virtual Reality InsiderSky Nite3D Coil
153Virtual Reality: Future Of Health CareLynne Edgar3D Coil
154Virtual Reality: Representations in Contemporary MediaMelanie Chan3D Coil
155Virtual Reality: The Revolutionary Technology of Computer-Generated Artificial Worlds and How It Promises to Transform SocietyHoward Rheingold3D Coil
156VortexS.J. KincaidGoodreads
157VurtJeff NoonUpload VR
158Ways of SeeingJohn Berger3D Coil
159WildcardMarie LuGoodreads
160WinterRod Rees (Demi-Monde Saga #1)Upload VR


12 Best Virtual Reality Book Sources/Lists



SourceArticle
3D Coil Best VR and AR Books
Appreal VR 10 Augmented Reality (AR) Books That Will Blow Your Kid’s Mind
ARPost Four Books to Give You an Insight into Virtual Reality
Book Trust 5 virtual reality books for your gaming-mad tweens and teens
Briovr Top 17+ Books To Learn Augmented & Virtual Reality
Goodreads Popular Virtual Reality Books – Goodreads
Haptic 60+ science fiction books on virtual reality
Hub Stop Augmented Reality (AR) Books to Add to Your Reading List
QZ These five books will help you understand the future of virtual reality
Signature reads 10 Novels Perfect for Virtual Reality
Upload VR Reading List: 50 Scifi Books Featuring AR and VR Technology
Virtual Reality Pop Five essential books for Virtual Reality coders