Here's a great novel that was written in the '80's by Neal Stephenson. It was published in 1992.
SNOW CRASH
Hiro Protagonist, freelance hacker and the greatest sword fighter in the Metaverse, teams up with Y.T., a fifteen-year-old female courier, to delve into a mystery that mixes Sumerian myth with virtual reality in a gritty cyberpunk setting. Hiro and Y.T., along with Hiro's old girlfriend Jaunita, race to stop a plot masterminded by a religious business monopolist that would brainwash the masses and knock freelance hackers out of commission.
Great book. I recommend it.
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