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The Bug by Ellen Ullman

In The Bug, Roberta Walton is a quality tester at a software companyin the early 80s. She discovers a bug in the company software and brings it to the attention of Ethan Levin, the senior engineer who has buried himself in the digital world at the loss of his relationships and socialization skills. The bug is elusive, however, and no matter how hard they try, they can't make it appear at will so they can fix it. The company's existence hinges on finding and fixing the bug. As Ethan's obsession with it causes him to unravel, Roberta is drawn in deeper to the programming world in her attempt to track down the demonic bug. Ellen Ullman's novel is just not for programmers or those interested in technothrillers, but details our interactions with machines, the modern age, and the people in our lives. The USA Today says of The Bug, "This fascinating tale leaves the reader wondering about the line between science and art, analysis and feeling."