Mote in God's Eye (Mote #1)
Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle

No doubt - a classic. "Star Trek done right" as was said about David Gerrold. Tons of very good hard SF themes and ideas are used here in an entertaining, thrilling and meaningful story.

The whole notion of the Second Empire of Man is a great way to have 1) a high tech future, but 2) a reasonably "like us" society. This dispenses with what Vinge calls "the singularity" (high tech future society beyond our comprehension) and lets them recycle all the forms and machinery of the English Empire. Obviously others (like David Weber and his Honor Harrington stories) have seen the value of this.....

Now I'm in The Gripping Hand, AND listening to Eragon. Not too confusing....