I'm just about done with City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer, and I haven't read a book that grabbed me this much since my first read of Infinite Jest. I adore the use of expensive in-world academic treatises and bibliographies to flesh out these worlds, as well as unreliable narrators and constant changes of perspective/stream of consciousness.
Any other fantasy, sci-fi, or horror suggestions that play around with these themes would be lovely!
by neotrunks2002
2 Comments
Neal Stephenson includes a lot of detail in all his books. Look at Diamond Age.
The Neanderthal Parallax by Robert J. Sawyer (Hominids, Humans, Hybrids). Due to an error that occurs while conducting a quantum computing experiment, a scientist gets transported to a parallel universe. *Exceptional* world-building and culture-building.
The Passage trilogy by Justin Cronin (The Passage, The Twelve, The City of Mirrors). A U.S. government/military experiment with an ancient virus goes awry and turns into a massive catastrophe. It’s immersive with great characters, multiple POVs and timelines, solid (end of the) world building, and an amazing and satisfying story arc.