I recently picked up "Artifact Space" by Miles Cameron based on recommendations, however the first 50 pages have been descriptions of rape, sexual slavery, torture, and our hero murders someone – all with no "space", "spaceships" or etc.
If feel like it could be a contemporary story. It doesn't feel like sci-fi. Several other ones have tried feel the same way. I think they want to build a world and make it gritty but I want sci-fi.
Another great example is Kim Stanley Robinson's "Mars trilogy". It is good but feels heavily political and philosophical rather than sci-fi.
The best example I can think of what I am wanting is "The Bobaverse" series by Dennis Taylor. Lot of descriptions of how to overcome vast interstellar space, space battles, new technologies, new races.
Why is this so hard?
by Farley2k