Despite the thread title, this is really just a link to the Wikipedia page for Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon. From the comment also posted by OP, it looks like this should (aside from the question of whether it belongs on HN at all) have been something like "Ask HN: What novels or other fictional works have Linux in a significant role?"

Looking for a some summer reading? How about leaving a comment below with the author and title of a book in which Linux plays a significant role.