/lit/ - Literature

I know it's somewhat of a sin but I bought this because of the cover. I like stuff like this. Not too simplistic, or too gaudy, but very cool 60s-70s SF book cover style (the book was published in 2000s, I think)

>>12668324
Maybe try Voyage to Alpha Centauri, by O'Brien. He's a Catholic writer, dealing with various political, social, and moral issues through the lens of an SF expedition. Not sure if it's totally what you're looking for but it's a long, but pretty interesting read. The technological stuff is fun too, but the key point is exploring ideas through that lens.