What's some books with an interesting vision of the future? I don't just mean more advanced technology, I mean the way it's organized.
I find often people can't envision past the society we have now. There's that quote, "It is easier to imagine an end to the world than an end to capitalism", and it seems more and more true, but sci-fi authors seem best equipped to actually imagine beyond that.
I've heard some sci-fi authors mentioned in this category before, like Heinlen, Ursula K. Le Guin, Kim Stanley Robinson, and Isaac Asimov's Foundation series.
I haven't read any of them lol. Would have no idea where to start within them that fits this category, or what other choices there are that people would suggest.
Possibly the void trilogy from peter f Hamilton.
Another one with different cultures is the expanse, by James s.a. Corey. This is more different around the belters and whatnot.
Dune and the freemen are amazing. Some of the earlier parts (this is a massive topic!) are really different, with the bene Gesserit and fremen, tleilaxu gholas, etc
Certainly the culture, with it's post-scarcity absence of an economy stands out. I have read any from le guin, yet.