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The Culture by Ian M. Banks. It's a little difficult to approach, but an incredible exploration of Sci-Fi, humanity, AI, and life in general. Unlike a lot of other great Sci-Fi (like The Expanse, which I also highly recommend) it's gritty, but overall The Culture is a hopeful and optimistic take on the progress of humanity and technology.
The best books are The Player of Games, Look to Windward, and Excession.
Depending on how you're feeling, I think you can skip The State of the Art, Matter, and Inversions, though they're worth an eventual read. They're just less connected to the main Culture story.
It's a series that truly changed me and my perspective on life.
Whenever anyone asks me what fictional universe I want to live in, I say the Culture universe. Hands down the best sci-fi universe to live in as a regular humanoid. It's a post-scarcity galactic paradise where if I ever get bored, I can plug into a Matrix-style simulation of any other fictional universe that's 100% real to my senses. Or I'll take any of a number of drugs that a gland in my brain can generate at will for shiggles. The possibilities are limitless.
Big disagree on the best - Use of Weapons, Surface Detail and Consider Phlebas are the favorites of my partner and me.
Not that the 3 listed are bad just that I like my 3 more :)
I mean, fair. All great books!
I honestly think that difference in opinion speaks highly of Banks as an author - the books speak to us differently and he wrote diverse enough stories that they capture each person separately.
Great point! They do vary wildly by style and subject matter, while all being masterful IMHO. Incredible talent.