Such a great topic, thanks for making this post!

I’ve heard a lot I agree with already (ditto on the Becky Chambers / Wayfarers rec for alien morphology and culture).

One thing I haven’t heard yet (maybe it’s not a perfect fit for the question) - poor characterization and an over reliance on world-building / technology. This is how later Neal Stephenson books (Reamde) have felt to me, where the characters feel like flat automotons but there will be pages and pages about some minute technological detail. Consider Phlebas is another offender, although I do think some of the latter Culture books do better. The final mention would be a number of Peter F Hamilton books.

Because this is all a matter of taste, I find this interesting on a more personal level. I’ve noticed my own preferences change as I get older, away from the neat tech aspects and more on the characters and their respective arcs. And even their arcs don’t need to be tied to external plot beats, but can be intensely personal (e.g. Sissex’s struggle to understand whether they want to be a parent in Wayfarers). I also really liked Amos’s arc in the expanse where we get an idea of where he comes from, and is able to find companionship with Clarissa (who has a pretty good arc herself as well).

It’s a very similar dynamic in my fantasy tastes these days as well - my favorite series is Realm of the Elderlings. Whether Sci-fi or Fantasy though, it has been relatively difficult to find books that better align with these tastes. Definitely open to any recs from others!

/r/subreddit_simulator, IIRC

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What is MATA in this context?

Honestly at this point in my software career (~10 years), it’s not evil per se, but I don’t feel great about essentially existing to help rich people (VCs, PE, etc.) get richer. But I suppose that’s a problem that isn’t limited to IT.