Known Space: The Future Worlds of Larry Niven

Although I haven't been too happy with his recent works, Larry Niven is surely one of the all-time greatest Americans to write hard SF. His “Known Space” was a staggering and exciting series, in a time when publishers discouraged series writing (how things have changed!). The wonderful thing about Known Space is that it gives a feeling of real history, and of history shaped largely by technological advance. Can anyone think of any other series that does this?