If you want scifi whatzits thrown around go read petroleum star or Greg egan, if you want mysterious multi series adventure go read Martha Wells murderbot.

If you want to read a book that starts 200 pages too soon, bases it's core conflict off a misunderstanding that would take a minute to explain, has half it's jokes be pop sci references, and the other half ways to rue Murphy's law, read this book. If you want to actually get into this series, for whatever reason, skip this book and start on book 2 because they sum everything up anyways.