Neal Stephenson is a writer whose books I almost immediately buy (and usually read much later because there is so much to read). He combines technology, philosophy and civilisation into gripping tales. I thoroughly enjoyed Snow Crash (about a tech ninja in a VR world and people in real life are members of corporations instead of inhabitants of nations) and Cryptonomicon. There is something about the worlds and possible futures he creates that make you reflect on what is possible and what should be considered when implementing technology today.