Who to read next

For the past oh, 18 years or so, I’ve been sustained largely by the epic tales of Terry Goodkind (Sword of Truth) and Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time). Little did I know when I started them (WoT started in 1991, SoT in 1994) that they’d both grow into 11 and 12 volumes respectively and take up so much of my time.
Now that the Sword of Truth series has finally wrapped up and with the end of the Wheel of Time series near, I’m on the hunt for something new to read. During the wait between volumes, I’d go back and read the previous books, or re-read other books in my collection (namely Dune and <acronym title=”Lord of the Rings>LotR). I also read the Dune pre-and post-quels for something a little different (which turned out to be not quite as different as I hoped). Aside from textbooks, programming books and journal articles, I really haven’t expanded my reading circle all that much.
Now I’m ready for something different. I feel like digging into some sci-fi once again. During my trip home for the reunion, I spent some time digging through the boxes of books still stored in my parents’ basement. Picked out a small box worth of books (small enough to bring as carry-on on the plane) and freecycled the rest, including all of my undergrad textbooks (boy was that tough to do). Most of what I brought back were sci-fi genre and whetted my appetite for more.
I think it’s time to reacquaint myself with the library. I wonder if my library card is still any good.
Feel free to offer any suggestions.