Reader Chris Y, in comments to this post asks:
Gloriana is not Moorcock at his best, but Riddley Walker (1982) is an all time classic, and Heliconia Spring (1983) is well worth reading. I more or less gave up on SF about that time, with the decline of the New Wave and the resurgence of boring old hardcore. Who should I read to get back into it? I’ve tried Charlie Stross, who seems OK; anybody else?
So we’re looking for recommendations for somebody who likes New Wave science fiction and Charlie Stross, but is less keen on hardcore science fiction. What I immediately think of is the socalled New Weird, a self-conscious literary movement of a few years ago that sort of coalesced around China Miéville and the generation of up and coming authors that got compared to him. Other New Weird authors include Steph Swainson, M. John Harrison and on the more space opera side of things, Alastair Reynolds. Tachyon Publications has put out an Ann and Jeff Vandermeer edited anthology of New Weird stories that looks to be a good starter. Another author that might be of interest is Adam Roberts, whose work I don’t actually like all that much but I do admire, if that makes any sense.
On the Strossian side of things, there’s Ken MacLeod, not to mention Iain M. Banks and Ian McDonald. Two underrated authors I only discovered myself last year are Nicola Griffith, writing feminist science fiction in the best sense of the word, as well as Paul Cornell.
Any other recommendations?