Looking for something new to read after The Expanse
Any fiction suggestions for a somewhat picky reader? The Expanse lasted me a long while but I'm finishing up the novellas now and need to start looking for something new. Not necessarily in the same genre.
I don't have a lot of books under my belt as an adult, but some of my favorites have been Stoner by John Williams, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, East of Eden, Catch 22, Flowers for Algernon, and Harry Potter. Kind of all over the place I guess. 😅
I've also enjoyed John Williams' other novels, Piranesi, The Things They Carried, House of Leaves, and Ender's Game and the sequel.
Some books I didn't really care for include Hitchhiker's Guide (although I loved the first half), Lolita, Sharp Objects, Turtles All the Way Down, The Stand, The Road, 1984, and Fahrenheit 451.
I'm always overwhelmed trying to find something new, so thanks for any suggestions!
EDIT: Thank you all! It'll be a bit daunting exploring all these new books but not nearly as daunting as if I had no guidance, so I really appreciate it!
Honestly the draw of the first book was this fascinating concept of comparatively infinite livable space in a solar system compared to what humans live in currently (and the extended longevity that is also a plot point) and how that would change human behavior and how we relate to each other. I remember one character speculating that he knows they hadn't figured out how to live forever because there was a floating castle and you don't take silly risks like that if you know you have 500+ years left to live. I also loooved the plot point about luck being a thing that can be genetically selected for and that humans managed to do so by accident (because that would absolutely be how that would happen).
I never read the other books because I remember thinking to myself that they really don't need a plot, the beauty of the first book was literally just the speculative scifi for us worldbuilding nerds. I totally understand where tolkien was coming from sometimes; idc about the characters, how does the postal system work when you have magic?