[taosaur]

I've only read one of his stand-alone sci-fi novels, Gravity Dreams, which was fascinating even if it sometimes slipped into Rand-ish manifesto territory, and even if it wrapped up the ending a bit too tidily IMO. The premise is one I've enjoyed more in other books: the majority culture is stagnant and characterized by willful ignorance, while the vital element of humanity survives by walling itself off and cloaking itself in myth. Elantris and Anathem would be more entertaining, less ideological examples, and Lord of Light is a brilliant take on what you might call the counter-premise. Still, Modesitt doesn't let the manifesto eclipse the story entirely, and sometimes a manifesto, even if one mostly disagrees with it, can be a good read.

Anyway, I can see how his works might best be enjoyed few and far between, but haven't had enough of a sampling to really judge.

ETA: BTW: I ended up sailing straight into the next Codex Alera and put off Recluce for another day, though it probably is up next.