@warmbeverageenjoyer @Moon actually here are a few quick recommendations. All the novels I've read really lead to nowhere but have interesting ideas and a cool world, Neuromancer and Snow Crash come to mind. For short stories:

- Blood Music (Greg Bear)
- Axiomatic and Learning to be Me (Greg Egan)
- comp.basilisk.faq (David Langford)
- The Girl Who Was Plugged In (Tiptree)

If you're just in the mood for really good scifi, I can recommend "The Book of the New Sun", which is the rare scifi book that actually reads like literature