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Originally Posted by Dead-Air

Actually, I'm one of the Admins over at a Science Fiction Message Board where we discuss this type of stuff every day.

My personal favorites include Alistair Reynolds, Stanislaw Lem, C. J. Cherryh (she does fantasy too, but her science fiction is quite good), David Brin, Kathleen Ann Goonan, Octavia Butler, Ian McDonald, Michael Moorcock, H.P. Lovecraft, Jack Vance, Greg Bear, J. G. Ballard, Barry Malzberg, Ursula K Le Guin, Samuel Delany.

I'm currently reading the latest Foreigner series book by C. J. Cherry, called, awkwardly, Deliverer. I like her Alliance/Union universe better than this one though.

oh oh oh oh... this is awesome. in that case i am looking for a reference and maybe you can help me?

years ago i read a jack vance book in translation. short stories, & i remember 2 quite vividly:

-transdimesional thought parasites that would take over a person's brain & create antagonism between the host species. they were invisible but the narrator was able to see them (i wonder if that's what possesses republicans?)
-some planet where there was no currency, but people traded on prestige through ritualistic social interaction-- they wear masks. the narrator is a foreigner who (i don't want to ruin this for the ones who haven't read it) has to learn how to survive here.

i wanted to read more but nothing else was available in that time & place-- could you help me find that book, or might you know the title of these short stories by any chance? ?? ??