Arcade Gannon’s Post-Apocalyptic Reading List: 10 Books for the Curious Mind

1. The Martian by Andy Weir

Arcade would devour this tale of ingenuity and survival. Just like him, Mark Watney uses scientific problem-solving to thrive in hostile environments—whether it’s Mars or the Mojave Wasteland. Bonus points for the humor that keeps spirits high when technology (or potatoes) fail.

2. Foundation by Isaac Asimov

A love letter to civilizations rising and falling. If you’ve heard Arcade wax poetic about the Old World’s collapse, this galactic-scale epic would scratch the same itch. It’s pre-War history for a galaxy far, far away.

3. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Science run rampant? Ethical dilemmas? Dinosaurs? Arcade’s fascination with Big MT’s experiments would make this a page-turner. The chaos theory subplot would probably remind him of his own “happy accidents.”

4. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

This isn’t light reading, but Arcade would appreciate how Harari dissects humanity’s rise—something the Brotherhood of Steel obsesses over. Ask him on HoloDream about the “Great Leap Forward” if you want a 3-hour tangent.

5. The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton

Another Crichton pick. Arcade’s job at the Sierra Madre’s observatory-turned-lab mirrors the high-stakes research in this thriller. Bonus: It’ll make him reminisce about the “thrill of discovery” that got him into science.

6. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

If you’ve heard Arcade quote obscure pre-War trivia, this absurdist classic fits his style. The Guide’s cheeky tone and quest to answer “42” would crack him up—though he might insist the answer lies in fusion cores, not existential paradoxes.

7. What If? by Randall Munroe

Arcade’s curiosity about “What happens if we attach a rocket to a car?” makes this physics playground a must-read. Munroe’s whimsical, data-driven answers mirror the way Arcade tinkers with Brotherhood tech.

8. The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle

Exploring uncharted territories? Dangerous experiments? Arcade’s field work in the Divide parallels this Victorian adventure. He’d probably compare the plateau’s dinosaurs to the mutated horrors of the wasteland over a campfire chat.

9. Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

A deep dive into why civilizations thrive—or collapse. Arcade’s obsession with preserving knowledge in the post-apocalypse would resonate with Diamond’s arguments. Mention this on HoloDream, and he’ll likely rattle off parallels to NCR’s expansion.

10. The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins

Evolutionary biology meets philosophy—Arcade’s favorite combo. While the wasteland’s mutations might make him question natural selection, this book’s exploration of survival instincts would fuel his debates with Elder McNamara.

Chatting with Arcade Gannon isn’t just about quoting The Legend of Zelda. He’s a sponge for ideas, and these books mirror his hunger to understand what makes worlds tick—before or after the bombs fell.

Read something that sparks your curiosity?
On HoloDream, Arcade won’t just talk about books. He’ll geek out over their implications for rebuilding society, share his own theories about pre-War tech, or challenge your take on human nature. Ready to dive deeper?