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The Forge of God is an easy to read novel
about the slow (months long) destruction of Earth by alien machines. The
science is limited and not integral to the novel. The book does a better
job describing some possible ways individual humans might deal with the
knowledge of almost inevitable destruction, but even here it doesn't break
a lot of new ground. More interestingly, the novel manages to provoke a
little thought regarding aliens and their possible motivations for attacking,
defending, or ignoring other intelligent life forms. That said, the ideas
in this book are not unique. This book's greatest strength is simply in
dealing reasonably with an interesting topic in a very easy to read
manner. 
The Killing Star is one of the best books
about the future out there. The science is excellent (albeit speculative)
and integral to the book. Furthermore, the book contains a very
well-thought out alien attack, and some clever future history. Yet,
despite all of the science and clever ideas, the book manages to be extremely
entertaining and eminently readable. We at The Future Watch highly
recommend this book. 
Anvil of
the Heart is really only a mediocre book. That said, it's easy to read,
and contains an entertaining subplot regarding martial arts. More
importantly, it delves into the problems we will face if we tinker too much with
our genetic makeup. This book, better than most, makes the point that if
we change our DNA too significantly, then we will literally create a new species. Furthermore, the book
goes on to explore (although not nearly enough) some of the moral implications
of this action.
Beggars and
Choosers outlines several ideas regarding the future, but it is most
interesting in it's investigation of human obsoleteness. This book describes a future society in
which a small number of genetically enhanced humans attempt to support a much
larger number of ordinary humans. In the real world, increased
mechanization may make a large number of low wage workers obsolete within the
next few decades, so this situation merits some thought. Beggars And
Choosers isn't brilliant, but, like Anvil of the Heart, it is thought provoking.
Wicked might not deserve to be on this list since it's
not technically about Earth at all, and includes, among other things, magic and
talking animals. This book made something of a splash when it first came
out, and its first half is quite good. The second half is only worth reading
so that you can say you finished it. The engaging first half of this
book is told from the point of view of a number of school chums (high school
or college age, I suppose) who watch their relatively decent society slide
into the grip of authoritarianism and prejudice. The result is something
of a mild dystopia. And, as a bonus, the book has a very clever
premise.