[mostly sci-fi] Books/series to scratch the video gamey world-exploration itch

I’m taking a break from video games since I’ve been noticing problematic time-usage indicative of addiction. I want to fill in the leisure time gap with some books that provide the same feeling of entertainment and engagement.

I was a RPG guy primarily, enjoying the feeling of exploring a big new world, learning about its history and geography and politics, talking to people and learning about how they’ve adapted to the world. That sort of thing. Your Fallouts and whatnot. Learning the names of gods and nations through context. Sussing out the metaphysics and cosmology of a fantasy world. The history and role of a technology with a goofy made-up name. The glossaries and the maps.

Looking for speculative fiction, favoring science fiction, that can scratch this itch. I’m not *against* franchise books, i.e. the Wahammers and the Star Warses and the Forgottem Realmses, but I think it would probably feel like a more “pure” exploration experience to read something that isn’t attached to an existing IP, an original setting.

I’ve read a few Culture books and quite liked those. If Stephenson turned Anathem into a series that would have been dope. Read OG Dune a million years ago. That series is definitely on my radar.

Was thinking about looking at Dying Earth because of its association with early D&D, or Fritz Leiber for similar reasons. I guess there’s a whole mess of Conan books especially if you include the non-Howards.

Been trying to find Lensman books via library with no luck. Supposedly it’s a sort of proto-Star Wars from back in the 30s?

I’ve got an old copy of Perdido Street Station sitting around somewhere. Did he make any consistent book series?

I think I would probably enjoy more contemporary writing with more contemporary style though. Cyberpunk genre, post-cyberpunk, etc. Water Knife was a fun thriller set in a plausible grim-dark near future. I think I’ve read all the Gibsons and maybe half the Sterlings. Rudy Rucker “wares” books and Vurt. Quirky weird settings with tech that mostly makes sense if you reverse engineer it in your head.

Broad topic, I know. Hopefully not too broad. Thanks!

by Typical_Dweller