Can any one recommend a good space sci fi book?

[Feadel]

Try David Webber. His Honor Harrington books are good and he has several other sci-fi books as well. Path of the Fury is one of my favorites.

[Hai-Etlik]

Try David Webber. His Honor Harrington books are good and he has several other sci-fi books as well. Path of the Fury is one of my favorites.

I enjoy the HH books (well, most of them), but I wouldn't at all call Weber's writing "eloquent" or his characters "engaging". His strength is more in just coming up with lots and lots if interesting details for his settings, and then blowing it all up, with equal attention to detail. He's at his weakest when his characters need to be "real people" and engage in conversation with each other. It's a valid way to go, and like I said, I enjoy the books, but I don't think they match what Oliviev asked for.

The best match among the authors that I read are Douglas Adams (The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy), Iain Banks (The Culture), and Timothy Zahn (The Thrawn Trilogy, Angelmass)

Dropping the space requirement, I'd add Neal Stephenson (Snow Crash, The Diamond Age)