Hacking Gumshoes
- Case by William Gibson
First appearance: Neuromancer (1984)
Not quite a PI, although in this highly influential, head spinning sci-fi novel, this circling-the-drain hacker is hired to track down (and later help steal) a certain item. It’s an offer he can’t afford to refuse. - Kidd by John Camp
First appearance: The Fool’s Run (1989)
The guy’s a total flake, a stir fry of electronics, martial arts, water colours and Tarot cards, but his hacking skills are what really set this guy apart from the herd. Even more amazingly, the series started at a time when most people thought a hacker was someone who played golf poorly. Kidd appeared in three more sequels, most under his pen name of John Sandford, the man responsible for the bestselling Lucas Davenport series. Maybe you heard of him… - Lisbeth Salander by Stieg Larsson
First appearance: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2005)
Possibly the best known fictional hacker of them all, surveillance expert and hacker Lisbeth first appeared in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2005), teaming up with disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist to work on a missing person’s case, and eventually uses her mad computer skills to uncover evidence of gigantic financial fraud. Several sequels, as well as television shows, movies and comics followed. (That’s her clicking away up there). - Jarek Grayson by Boyd Craven III
First appearance: Kidnapped (2015)
Of course, once a hole opens, a bunch of instant “indie” publishers rush in, attracted by the scent of potentially easy money. Author Boyd Craven (the third, no less) tries to ingratiate himself with “a different sort of private investigator. One with a touch of OCD, anxiety, and autism. Jarek isn’t your normal hacker; he’s also a millionaire, playboy, and PI.” Yes, you may roll your eyes now… - C.T. Ferguson by Tom Fowler
First appearance: The Reluctant Detective (2017)
A little better. After serving time in a Hong Kong prison, working against the Chinese government, hacker Ferguson is released and returns stateside to Baltimore, where he sets up shop as a private investigator. - N by Chan Ho-Kei
First appearance: The Second Sister (2020)
It seems to be a rule of thumb that almost all hacker sleuths are eccentric, and N is no exception. Hired by a Hong Kong librarian to look into her kid sister’s unexpected death, and the cyberbullying that may have caused her to take her own life, the enigmatic cyber-security expert and master manipulator may just have an agenda or two of his own.
Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.
