Recommendations for Cypherpunks Books

[Foobulus Baracculus]

>>Can you distinguish a "cypherpunk" genre from a "cyberpunk" genre, and is 
>>it a worthwhile distinction, and what are the features ?
>
>Yes, it is worthwhile. Good luck finding anything that is remotely 
>acceptable.

Perhaps I can offer a starting point:

First tier (works that are specifically focused on cryptographic 
technologies):

(1) - books on future worlds and spaces: in particular, those that explore 
social, moral, political, technical, ethical issues (to be science fiction), 
or those that merely explore worlds (to be fantasy)
(2) - books on cryptography theory and systems: from the basic theory 
(cryptography primitives), to the high level systems (public key 
infrastructure).
(3) - books on privacy, ethics and social questions: defining good and bad 
cryptography in the various contexts (low level technical, high level 
social), including politics (trade barriers).

Second tier (works that are more general and not specifically focused on 
cryptographic technologies):

- second tier to (1) - general science fiction and fantasy exploration of 
future worlds involving technology or otherwise, but not primarily focused 
on cryptography (technical, social or ethnographical)
- second tier to (2) - general mathematics, communications and computing, 
such as number theory, quantum computing, dna computing, internetworking 
systems, identity management.
- second tier to (3) - general computing and technology issues of privacy, 
ethics, sociology, ethology.

What I would enjoy reading:
- books on cryptoterrorism and cryptoliberation, where a major part of the 
plot revolves around the use of cryptography technologies in terrorism or 
liberation.
- books on cryptocommunities, where a major part of the plot revolves around 
people that are "cryptoheads" and for which cryptography and technology is a 
major part of their lifestyle (people who somewhat live, breathe and eat 
cryptography).


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