Interesting. I did enjoy Snow Crash quite a bit, so I know I like the author. I'll wait for inevitable price drop when the paperback comes out though.

Cheers. A Study in Scarlet is also public domain too, and it's not too long - I finished it in 2 days, though that may be because it's too compelling - so you may want to check that out too.

This. It's weird as hell, but brilliant.

You could also try This Perfect Day by Ira Levin, even though it's apparently a ripoff of Brave New World (which I've never gotten around to reading).

If you're into alternate history, check out Eric Flint's Ring of Fire series. You can get the first two books, 1632 and 1633, from Baen's Free Library. Plenty of romance in those. And war, of course.

There's also David Weber's Empire of Man series (March Upcountry, March to the Sea, March to the Stars, We Few). They're mainly about war, but there's a central romance running throughout the story.

Loath as I am to admit that I like a good love story every once in a while I will never the less recommend Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
http://www.amazon.com/Cordelias-Honor-Vorkosigan-Saga-Omnibus/dp/0671578286/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1316762654&sr=8-2

Do you like Napoleonic Russians? Do you like Napoleonic Russians...in space? Who have a near klingon like warrior culture? Do you like strong women who can take care of themselves, who don't go all weak kneed when the dashing male lead appears and stories from their perspective? Then you will very much like this book.

Get anything from Robert A. Heinlein, Spider Robinson, or the Hugo Award winners, and you're fine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Award
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_A._Heinlein
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_Robinson

Examples (short stories):
Spider Robinson - Melancholy Elephants (Hugo Award winner)
Robert A. Heinlein - All You Zombies


EDIT: Of course, Adi Jager is right in the next posting. You can get A.C. Clarke also.

Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke
actually u could read all books from C. Clarke.... also have u completed already "Dune" ? ;-)