I've just finished "Great North Road", by Peter F. Hamilton, which it's taken me over a month to read. Wow! A sweeping blockbuster of an SF novel. At its heart a detective story set in 22nd-century Newcastle-upon-Tyne, but so much more than that, too. If you like your SF to be on a grand scale, this is definitely a book to read. Very, VERY highly recommended. Oh, and it's a completely standalone novel, too
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