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Iain M. Banks: we're living in an AI-regulated Utopia, but the AI that we totally trust might be doing some light imperialism on the side.
Pratchett / Baxter: we're headed for some bleak imperialist nonsense, and another one, and another one, and another one, and oops, a blank...
Edit: added the Long Earth one.
41 1 ReplyMaybe sometimes there are special circumstances?
13 0 ReplyFuck I love the Culture series. Such a good read.
11 0 ReplyThe Culture is so incredibly fascinating. Banks' death was a loss to science fiction.
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The Culture stuff is great but nothing tops The Algebraist. A near-perfect standalone sf doorstop imo.
Big ideas, some laughs, a mystery that you can solve if you're paying attention, strong characters, interesting aliens...
The last one that hit that sweet spot for me was Mother of Storms by John Barnes.
6 0 ReplyHadn't read The Algebraist yet, so there's a new one on my list. Thanks! I'll make sure to check out Barnes, too.
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The Culture weren't actually the future of humanity though right? Non-canon stuff has indicated we join eventually in the future but the society formed independent of us and even visit and examine us in one.
3 0 ReplyActually, you're right.
Oh well, a humanity, then, just not ours.
1 0 Reply