Recommended Smart Action/Sci-Fi Novels

[Ryan]

After discovering the Vorkosigan Saga, Snow Crash, Old Man's War The Culture Series, A Song Called Youth, The Expanse Trilogy, Fallen Dragon, The Hyperion books, Ready Player One and rereading The Forever War I'm trying to find more Science Fiction novels that combine exciting action with smart/smartly executed story telling. Now to clear things up, by "action" I don't necessarily mean Military Sci-Fi or Space Opera(although those shouldn't be excluded), but I'd like more variety like cyberpunk or present based science fiction.

[mark, personal space invader]

how about the various series of Peter F. Hamilton? I've loved what I've read.

[Kirsten]

I've just started Book #2 in the Honor Harrington series and I love it. I also really liked Blue Remember Earth by Alistair Reynolds.

[Neurokarma]

Try The Martian by Andy Weir and Wool Hugh Howey

[spikeINflorida]

Ryan, since you've read Forever War, try Forever Peace. It's not a sequel. It is very smart with excellent characterization...one of my faves.

[Micah]

Gridlinked by Neal Asher
Ship of Fools and Carlucci 3-in-1 by Richard Paul Russo.
The Petrovitch Trilogy by Simon Morden
Pretty much any of Alastair Reynolds
And his work may be a bit shy on action but for smart SF, there's always Greg Bear.

[Laz]

I'll second The Martian, the Petrovich series, and any Hugh Howie.

My goto non-military scifi is CJ Cherryh's Foreigner series.

[Mary]

Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series, starting with Dauntless

Michael Flynn's Spiral Arm Series, starting with The January Dancer

[Alan]

I also second The Martian and Wool. I really liked the Honor Harrington books but I'm not sure if they are quite as "smart" as some of the books on your list and I liked the fleet action scenes in the Lost Fleet series but thought that some of the hero's adversaries inside the fleet were cardboard cutouts.

I would add A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky as very smart space opera.

[mark, personal space invader]

yeah, Vernor Vinge and those two novels are awesome.