I would highly recommend anything by Neal Stephenson or Peter F. Hamilton.
Anathem (Stephenson's latest) is perhaps the best novel I have ever read. It is a wonderful work of Science Fiction that sneaks up on you. There is not a wasted line in the book. Every (apparent) diversion of the story comes back as background material for something yet to come. IMHO it is a sad shame that Anathem did not win the Hugo award this year.
I enjoyed this book so much that the day after I finished reading it, I started listening to the audio book during my commute.
Stephenson may go down in history as an 'Important' author.
Also by Stepenson, in order of my appreciation:
- Snow Crash - Better than Neuromancer
- Diamond Age - Strange but compelling story
- Cryptomonicom - Several stories in parallel that tie nicely together at the end.
Peter F Hamilton tends toward Epic Science Fiction tales with the complexity of Dune. His imagination knows no bounds.
The Night's Dawn Trilogy (released as 6 books in England) is astounding. It is, however, quite depressing but the payoff at the end balances it out.
Pandora's Star / Judas Unchained are a two book series that again has some of the imagination and completeness of Dune. The characters are many and intriguing. Passages in these books that outline the ascent of an alien race from first cognitive awareness to today are absolutely the best I have ever seen. Better than Hal Clement. Better than Larry Niven.
Most recently, The Dreaming Void and the Temporal Void (with yet another book to come) are a very enjoyable series that takes place in the universe of Pandora's Star / Judas Unchained but thousands of years later. These are an interesting mix of SciFi / Fantasy with a parallel story that clearly will come together at the end.
Even though it is not Science Fiction, I would recommend the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. These are the continuing tales of a modern day wizard who works as a private investigator. Imagine 2 parts Harry Potter for adults, 2 part Sam Spade, and 1 part Loony Tunes and you will be just about there. If you saw the series on TV, be assured that the books are much better. There are currently 11 books and counting.
The first two are Storm Front and Fool Moon. You will likely want to read them in order.
Hope this is helpful.
Dean