I'll mirror the OP's method of posting
Night's Dawn Trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton.Note: Night's Dawn is composed of 3 'core' books. The first 2 books in the trilogy were sold in 2 'parts' each. Those wanting to read it need be aware of this to avoid reading Part 1 of one novel and jumping to part 1 of the second novel and wondering wtf happened in between
Novels in the Trilogy: Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, The Naked God.
Novel 1: The Reality Dysfunction
The Reality Dysfunction Part 1: Emergence
The Reality Dysfunction Part 2: Expansion
Novel 2: The Neutronium Alchemist
The Neutronium Alchemist Part 1: Consolidation
The Neutronium Alchemist Part 2: Conflict
Novel 3: The Naked God
(this one is one novel that is as fat as 2 books on its own)
Synopsis:
In the year 2300+ humanity has split into two factions: The Adamists who use technology and the Edenists who use bio-technology (in the novel reffered to as 'Bitek'). The two factions are not at war but have become distant in what can be called a pseudo-religious schism. The Adamists consider it sinful to use living (sometimes sentient) things as a technological base whereas Edenists society sees the Adamists as cousins who will eventually come around. Both sides have great nobility and terrible dark sides within them and the novels explore many aspects of their societies.
Adamists live mainly on planets and asteroid colonies and Edenists live on Habitats (massive, small-planet sized organic, sentient beings that were designed and grown by Edenists as a home. Think of them as a living Babylon5-type station...just planetoid-sized). Edenists use living, sentient bitek starships called 'Voidhawks' whereas Adamists use regular metal-built vessels (though some adamists use bitek ships called Blackhawks). Adamists use nano-technology to enchance themselves (neural implants that turn their brains into computers which can send real-time voice messages to each other, synthetic muscles, boosted performance, etc) while edenists are all-natural and use bitek genetic engineering to give themselves Affinity (telepathy and the ability to share their minds with others, in essence edenists can become a hive mind when making decisions or dealing with a crisis).
Within the Adamists there are many independent nations but the great majority, including the Edenists, have joined together to form the Confederation.
The novels begin following the events of several characters, mainly of Joshua Calvert and how they go about their life and fortunes in this universe. The author does a great job in making the novel fluid and interesting on things as simple as a bussiness breakthrough or at what a teenaged girl does to get away from a life she finds dull .. and also follows the story a young psychotic criminal that got deported out of earth to another planet.
But all that changes when the Confederation faces an inconceivable threat: the dead are coming back and possessing the living. If that was not enough they also learn that the 2 other sentient spacefaring races they have encountered (and which are part of the Confederation as friends and observers) are not exactly what they appeared to be..and one of them has the potential to destroy humanity. If the returning dead don't beat them to it of course.
I give these novels an 8/10 . I wont spoil the ending but lets just say the WAY the trilogy closes is very dissapointing (not in the story but just how it was written really). Thats why it lost 2 points.
DUNE by Frank Herbert
I wont say any more. You have to read these. 10/10 . Too complicated to put a synopsis of it.
Dune
Children of Dune
Dune Messiah
God Emperor of Dune
Heretics of Dune
Chapterhouse: Dune
10/10 for each book.
You may also read the pre-quels and post-sequels written by the author's son after the Author's death. His writing style SUCKS and its criminal how he used his father's work to make money but still, its supposedly based on notes left by the father (and once you read the books listed above you will be able to tell right away which parts were and which weren't).
Personal note: One of the most touching things about these novels is that the author, Frank Herbert, based a big part of the novel on his wife's personality (Bene Gesserits & Jessica). After his wife died he wrote the plots and storylines to be used in the next dune novels, some of which he did not live to finish. Of these notes which were later used by his son, the very last sentence of the last book (written by his son) are said to be written directly by Frank Herbert and meant to be the closing tribute to his wife after she died.
