Techies are buzzing this year about Google Glass, the cyborg-like spectacles. But some 20 years ago—when Google Inc.'s co-founders were still in college—author Neal Stephenson wrote about "gargoyles," workers who don video cameras and headsets that collect information to plug into a version of the Web.

The 1992 book and other works from the science-fiction writer have had an enduring influence in Silicon Valley and beyond, with a tech fan base that includes Amazon.com Chief Executive Jeff Bezos. Some of Mr. Stephenson's...