I bet I'd like Pirate Hunters, Steve.
I finished Hydrogen Sonata, read a few shorts by Hugh Howey, Beacon 23, I believe.
Now I'm reading Death World by BV Larson. It's another sci-fi series that I've enjoyed.
It's not the greatest, but it's an easy read. Larson's vocabulary is about a 2 compared to Banks, if that.
He does write a nice picture, but the series is getting a bit soap-opery with this book.
I hope it straightens out shortly.