re: #380 Scout
The “Culture” is great. I miss Banks greatly.
I’m also extremely fond of the Vorkosigan series of books by Louis McMasters Bujold. Exquisite stuff that ranges from military SF to romance (in a very classical sense - Georgette Heyer forex) to detective stories all with the same cast of characters, but the most important being a hyperactive git named Miles. By far my favorite series of books.