For something relatively new, and related to hn, I'd recommend Bruce Sterling's latest: "Zenith Angle". Although, that's not quite sci-fi, more just fiction.
All I've read of Stanislaw Lem I'd recommend (for some classic sci-fi), also Roadside Picnic (Strugatsky brothers) is very good.
Keeping with the theme of the other books listed above, I'd recommend Bruce Sterling's "Holy Fire", or maybe "Babel-17" by Samuel R. Delany (although I prefer his youth fantasy novel "Neveyona" which deals with some of the same themes). Also, you can't go wrong with his "The Einstein Intersection".
Finally, if you haven't read anything of Vernor Vinge, I have a look at "A Fire Upon the Deep".
Hm, I guess there are a few too many Nebula Award winners in there for the recommendations to be really useful... here's one more: "Speed of Dark" by Elizabeth Moon.
Perhaps a bit haphazard, but maybe you'll find something you like there :-)
Funny that you would mention Vernor Vinge... as well known and highly regarded as he is, I've never read any of his books to date. So I recently picked up A Fire Upon The Deep, A Deepness In The Sky, and Rainbow's End and plan to read those sometime soon. I've heard so much good stuff about his work that I'm really looking forward to getting into those.
Peter Watts, especially Blindsight, although Starfish is also good. He's the rare writer who combines hard and soft SF in one; keep plowing through the first thirds to halves of his novels, which are confusing but worth the payoff.
I also read Kim Stanley Robinson's 2312 not long ago and didn't dislike it, exactly, and yet felt bored even in the midst of exciting reversals and shocking events in the context of the world.
For something relatively new, and related to hn, I'd recommend Bruce Sterling's latest: "Zenith Angle". Although, that's not quite sci-fi, more just fiction.
All I've read of Stanislaw Lem I'd recommend (for some classic sci-fi), also Roadside Picnic (Strugatsky brothers) is very good.
Keeping with the theme of the other books listed above, I'd recommend Bruce Sterling's "Holy Fire", or maybe "Babel-17" by Samuel R. Delany (although I prefer his youth fantasy novel "Neveyona" which deals with some of the same themes). Also, you can't go wrong with his "The Einstein Intersection".
Finally, if you haven't read anything of Vernor Vinge, I have a look at "A Fire Upon the Deep".
Hm, I guess there are a few too many Nebula Award winners in there for the recommendations to be really useful... here's one more: "Speed of Dark" by Elizabeth Moon.
Perhaps a bit haphazard, but maybe you'll find something you like there :-)