Hey, thanks, I don't think I've read those, so that's potentially a goldmine.
I actually specifically don't want to emulate the authors I've read, except for their ability to draw a believable new paradigm. If what I turn out is another rehash of space battles and aliens, then there's no point. But that's the general direction, except I have no intention of including aliens and I see the space battles more as board room intrigues that involve a problem I see us hitting in the next couple hundred years. Space features prominently, but not freely accessible space - its more of a representation of possibility, which is also how I see the ocean. I can't say any of this will make it to the final version - I'm at the stage of ideas on a mind map and bashing my head on a wall hoping a plot falls out of it. Dry prose - easy ; something enjoyable to read - not easy.
mleku will be fine. I get the impression he has the kind of temperament that can rebuild itself after a setback.