• dnzm@feddit.nl
    3·
    1 year ago

    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.

    • NuPNuA@lemm.ee
      3·
      1 year ago

      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.

    • eestileib@sh.itjust.works
      1·
      1 year ago

      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.