Iain M Banks' Culture fans - what other sci fi might I like?

[soddinghormones]

I'm still trying to get to grips with the fact that I will never be able to read a new Culture novel (sob)

I do like a good bit of alien/space opera a
sci-fi - not so keen (actually not keen at all) on the future earth dystopia type stuff, but find things like Dune a bit too po-faced

Any recommendations of other writers I might like? Am in a sci-fi mood ...

Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep is a great bit of space opera and universe building.
Arthur C Clarke's Songs of Distant Earth covers some of the same utopian themes.

Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series is brilliant - in a different way to Banks but might be worth a try. I'd start with Shards of Honor.