It took me a moment there to understand exactly what you mean (not sure why, since your comment is clear).
I think I was always part of this category of people without even realizing, until I read Peter Watts’ books, and in particular Blindsight.
I read hard SF, and I enjoy the genre greatly. But most of it just lacks something that is hard to pinpoint. It’s both something about human psychology, and where the case, especially about the aliens. Not Blindsight, tho. Not at all.
Btw, there’s another hard SF author that I have a huge appreciation for: Ken MacLeod. His style is different, but in my opinion he gets things right too. Some of his books I read multiple times too, and I really don’t do that often, having limited time for reading and being rather picky about what I read.
Ah, autocorrect! Meant to say “Entire communities of people…”
Can absolutely see someone being part of that group before reading/realizing though, Watts/Blindsight is so different but almost “natural”. I used to think it was its unrelenting emphasis on competition, but there’s absolutely more to it as you say in its treatment of psychology, consciousness, alien/different life
I’ve never read Ken Macleod but I’m happy to look into him now, can’t remember ever being disappointed in recommendations given off the back of Blindsight!
I think I was always part of this category of people without even realizing, until I read Peter Watts’ books, and in particular Blindsight.
I read hard SF, and I enjoy the genre greatly. But most of it just lacks something that is hard to pinpoint. It’s both something about human psychology, and where the case, especially about the aliens. Not Blindsight, tho. Not at all.
Btw, there’s another hard SF author that I have a huge appreciation for: Ken MacLeod. His style is different, but in my opinion he gets things right too. Some of his books I read multiple times too, and I really don’t do that often, having limited time for reading and being rather picky about what I read.