Iain M. Banks, may he rest in peace, is my favorite science-fiction author of all time. His books explore a post-scarcity, galaxy-spanning utopian society known as “The Culture.” The Culture is composed of trillions of humans and primarily run by benevolent, god-like artificial intelligences known as “Minds,” which attempt to maximize pleasure and minimize pain for both its citizens and the citizens of other civilizations in the galaxy. Their hyper-intelligent solutions to managing the politics, wars, and general narrow-mindedness of the neighboring galaxy is absolutely fascinating.
In most of his books, The Culture itself is more of a backdrop while the stories revolve around a protagonist or group of protagonists, who live out their lives in various pursuits, often involving interactions with (very) alien psychologies, hostile environments, and absurd missions. The majority of his books end in twists that you wouldn’t expect and are written in very different literary styles sometimes millenia apart within the Culture Universe’s timeline.
Some of his books are better read, while others are great on audiobook. Peter Kenny narrates most of Banks’ audiobooks and does a spectacular job immersing you into the stories.