Just to repeat an earlier recommendation, which I can
now doubly back up: John C. Wright's THE GOLDEN AGE: A
ROMANCE OF THE FAR FUTURE, just out from Tor, is a
dazzling masterpiece in the Vance/Wolfe vein, with a
lot of subtle touches AND a huge eloquence. First in a
series, but that just guarantees further wonders...
--Nick Gevers.