Have you take a look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbows_End_(novel) ? Dr Vinge does "thought bombs" a lot with most of his books where you read something and he has all kinds of implications that jump out with one of his concepts.
Another of his works - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cookie_Monster_(novella) about simulations reminded me a lot of Stross' thought experiments - but from the other side.
But all of them tend to have something - "Reality Graphics" in A Fire Upon the Deep, the localizer net and the Focused in A Deepness, Rainbows End above considers why you might have an underground market in Bootleg processors... Interesting stuff to ponder.