[Tolik]

Thank you!!

Quick summary of the Sci-Fi books' recommendations: (in no particular order):

• Alistaire Reynolds "Revelation Space" (must read from the beginning)

• The early Honor Harrington stories by David Weber.

• Peter Hamilton's Reality Disfunction series. Peter Hamilton's Pandora's Star series.

• David Feintuch's Hope series. (first 4 books)

• Heinlein

• Forward

• Niven

• Pournelle

• Joe Haldeman

• Keith Laumer's time travel and alternate-universe stories.

• Iain Banks  "Culture" novels

• Greg Bear (Eon, Queen of Angels)

• Neil Gaiman (American Gods, Good Omens-with Terry Prattchet).

• Vernor Vinge (everything),

• Dan Simmons (Hyperion Cantos)

• Neal Stephenson (Diamond Age and Snow Crush)

• Orson Scott Card

[Physicist]

Snow Crush

Make that Snow Crash. Highly recommended.

[highball]

I'd add Neal Stephenson's CRYPTONOMICON to your list.

Fantastic book. Don't let the length scare you.

Requires you to use your head, and well worth it.

[Condorman]

For those interested in alternate histories, Card's Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus makes for some fascinating reading.

[CobaltBlue]

I am surprised that nobody's yet mentioned Willam Gibson. The best living science fiction writer, in my opinion. "Neuromancer" is the best science fiction book I've read in the past twenty or thirty years.
http://www.williamgibsonbooks.com/books/books.asp

Unfortunately it seems like each successive book isn't quite as good as the last one, but I still think he's superior to the old guys - Asimov, Heinlein, etc.

And let us not forget Phillip K. Dick! At least before he finally lost his mind completely, say, pre-Valis.
http://www.philipkdick.com/