SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

I just finished This Alien Shore and I'm looking for more space opera and space opera-adjacent science fiction that features interesting/distinctive/creative societies. I want books set on space ships and stations, maybe some alien worlds. I'm more interested in books that develop the social structures, not just ship crews of individuals from different cultures interacting. I'm not really looking for Corporation Rim-type societies right now, but flawed societies are very welcome. It can have plot focused on other things or be more "space opera of manners" as long as social factors play a significant part.

Other examples of what I'm thinking of:
-Le Guin's Hainish stories
-Vorkosigan saga
-Yoon Ha Lee's Hexarchate
-De Bodard's Xuya universe
-Melissa Scott's (non-Trouble) sci fi

read more Cherryh - she has lots of them and I especially like the Kif series

From the sound of it, you're describing rather closely the Expanse saga. Verbose prose, but it has everything you're looking for. There's also a TV series as a bonus, which is mostly a successful adaptation, and comic book spin-offs, which aren't.

You might also want to take a look at another long series, the Culture by Iain M. Banks, which I'm told is excellent.

Several stand-alone novels by Samuel R. Delany.

Let me know if you embark on either of these expeditions; I'd be interested.

some Andre Norton books also fit your criteria

Exodus: The Archimedes Engine would also fit.

What about Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space series? Classic space opera. Some of his other books might fit the bill too e.g. House of Suns.

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine was a decent read. Won the Hugo in 2020.

I will second the earlier comment about CJ Cherryh. Many of the books in her Union/Alliance/Company Wars universe would fit the criteria.

Thanks, this is a great list! The only Cherryh I've read so far was Downbelow Station, but she's definitely an author I'd be interested in exploring further. CBR, do you mean the Chanur series?

I wondered if the Expanse would come up - I read the first book several years ago and wasn't motivated to continue, but I've heard enough positives about later books in the series to be reconsidering.

I've read some Delany and am probably not in the mood for more at the moment, but I'll let you know the next time I pick him up.

The other authors/series mentioned I have not tried yet, so I'll add them to my list. Any specific Norton recommendations?

Kaa wrote: "Thanks, this is a great list! The only Cherryh I've read so far was Downbelow Station, but she's definitely an author I'd be interested in exploring further. CBR, do you mean the Chanur series?

I ..."

yes, I did. I liked the human male not being the savior theme

An Unkindness of Ghosts presents an interesting antebellum-like society living in a generation ship.

Some Desperate Glory might fit the bill too.

You may like the Vatta's War series by Elizabeth Moon. It starts with Trading in Danger which is more about being a space merchant, then moves to a more political/military SF offering in later volumes.

Elizabeth Bear's White Space series, starting with Ancestral Night might fit the bill. I really enjoyed the first two, haven't read the most recent one yet.

Of Cherryh's other books, consider Forty Thousand in Gehenna and her last two: Alliance Rising and Alliance Unbound. Unfortunately, there will not be a concluding book to those last two.