Originally Posted by Zakhary
For some reason they like to call it "hard sf" but I don't feel that way.

Mostly because he respects the speed of light unlike a lot of space opera out there. Regardless of how you define him I'd second Reynolds. For density of ideas, world and plot I think he beats many of the classics.

IF you're looking for more recent SF like him you'll probably like Richard Morgan, particularly the Takeshi Kovacs novels starting with Altered Carbon.

I also like Peter Hamaltion though he tends more space-fantasy than SF and is generally lighter in tone, the Nights Dawn Trilogy is probably his best work.

For those of us who like politics Ken MacLeod had some interesting views of near and far future communism, anarchy and capitalism in his first four books; The Star Faction, The Stone Canal, The Cassini Division and The Sky Road (all stand alone but set in the same history). His more recent stuff was weaker.

And Connie Willis, not as recent but always a good read, I thought To Say Nothing of the Dog one of the funniest books I'd read when I first finished it, planning a re-read soon. (Though if you're after spaceship SF, her novels tend to deal with time travel and are set in the past).