NGC 7293: The Helix Nebula

A spam email from a friend circulating this picture talked about the Eye of God. I can understand why.

The Wraiths of Will and Pleasure by Storm Constantine

 Book 1 of the Wraeththu Histories and it's a bad idea to read it without having read the Wraeththu series first.

The initial series was complex but had a very strong thread winding through it connecting all the characters and their stories. I liked it very much. This seems to be trying to do a very similar thing without the thread.

I'd recommend it if you had a strong attachment to the initial series and wanted more exposure to the characters.