Librarian Tim recommends: The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross (SF Stross)

This collects two early novellas from Stross, "The Atrocity Archive" which recounts the adventures of Bob Howard, computer genius and reluctant spy for The Laundry, a super-secret British agency charged with protecting this universe from incursions from the outer realms. In an ingeniously pulpy plot involving escaped Nazis, modern-day terrorists, and portals into other universes, Howard must keep our universe safe and at the same time save his love interest, Mo, from the clutches of danger. In the second novella, "The Concrete Jungle", secret agent Bob is on the trail of exploding cows (!) that have been attacked with a pan-dimensional weapon. Bureaucratic intrigue and satire are the order of the day here. This is a modern day updating of the pulp adventure stories of the 30's with a serious infusion of computer geek cheekiness. Fans of techno-thrillers with a patience for some lingo-slinging will find a lot to enjoy here.

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