If you're in for a real (and I mean real) slog of a sci-fi marathon, check out Peter Hamilton.

He has about 4-5 separate series where the technology evolves as the books move along with a good bit of overlapping.

I won't lie, the first couple series are not for everyone and can get quite slow. I like the later series better (commonwealth saga) because of the higher technology and think those are funnerto read, and its actually how I discovered the author. I basically devolved in tech by reading his books in reverse chronological order. That said, I think the best way to read his stuff is to start at the beginning. In the end, it's worth it.

My favorite book of his is probably fallen dragon.