I really enjoy sci-fi that starts grounded in reality — that eases you in with a slow build, a sense of normalcy, before the shift. I love when the story begins in the everyday, then opens into something strange and vast. Think the beginning of The Matrix or Old Man’s War, perhaps? That kind of vibe. Any recommendations?
If The Expanse is OK, then Alastair Reynolds - Pushing Ice, also fits the bill.
Starts with humans being in solar space already, and goes from there.