If the CRISPR-level detail in Upgrade—from the gene-delivery "bomb" that hits Logan Ramsey during the GPA raid to the fallout from Miriam Ramsey’s disastrous breakthroughs—hooked you, Nexus doubles down. Naam’s near-future neural tech works like a programmable enhancement, and the science is laid out with the same punchy clarity. You’ll follow Kade Lane as his invention blurs the line between human and software, while agents like Samantha Cataranes chase him across labs and borders. It wrestles with the same big questions of whether we should “improve” ourselves—and who gets to decide—while delivering high-stakes action.

Loved how Upgrade barely lets you breathe—from the gene-bombing that rewires Logan to the relentless manhunt and escalating set pieces? Recursion hits that same gear. You’ll race alongside NYPD detective Barry Sutton and neuroscientist Helena Smith as a memory technology spirals into city-level catastrophe, twisting reality with each chapter. Crouch’s clipped chapters, cliffhangers, and smart science make it that rare thriller you’ll tear through in a night.

In Upgrade, Logan’s focus tightens to one goal: stop a plan that could rewrite humanity—no matter the personal cost tied to his family and past. Project Hail Mary channels that same laser focus. Ryland Grace wakes up alone on a ship with amnesia, then remembers he’s humanity’s last hope against an existential threat. The book delivers ingenious problem-solving, mounting stakes, and a protagonist who has to keep choosing action when surrender would be easier.

If Logan’s enhanced mind and body in Upgrade—and the hard choices they push him toward about family loyalty and the fate of humanity—intrigued you, Altered Carbon offers a darker mirror. Takeshi Kovacs, sleeved into a new body, investigates a billionaire’s "suicide" for Laurens Bancroft, cutting through a neon-noir world where tech amplifies power and corruption. The fights are brutal, the tech is cool, and the hero’s code is anything but simple.

One of the most compelling parts of Upgrade is living inside Logan Ramsey’s upgraded mind as clarity sharpens, emotions shift, and relationships strain under the weight of change. Flowers for Algernon gives you that same intimate access. Through Charlie Gordon’s progress reports, you experience the ascent—and consequences—of an experimental enhancement, including how it reshapes his bond with Alice Kinnian and mirrors the fate of the mouse Algernon. It’s a deeply human counterpoint to Logan’s journey.