Vinge's return to writing after a six year hiatus. Fire is a universe spanning space opera that goes so above and beyond the standard fare, that it really shouldnt be catagorized as such. His universe has a breadth and depth unlike many others. He breaks up the cosmos into zones of thought, where depending on the location of a particular planet, sets limits for the advancement of the civilization that lives there. It allows for him to encorporate elements like collective intelligence, the singularity, a universe wide datanet, gods, and interstellar war, while still telling a moving story with real characters. One that keeps you turning pages. Fire won a Hugo award in 1993, and for good reason. Give it a read, you wont regret it.