Everybody reading this entry needs to go read Elizabeth Moon's The Speed of Dark, unless of course you've already read it, and if you have, you know why.

Everybody.  I don't care if you read or if you don't like to, or what kinds of books you like or don't like, or if you think you're in the mood for this sort of book or not.  If you can read, you should read this book.

The woman should be given a country to run, and an unlimited budget with which to do it.  And thank god she has one hell of a backlist.