The Expanse series is kind-of near scifi that goes cosmic.

The Expanse series.

Three Body Problem. The first book builds up like that, and the next two just keep going. It's a wild ride.

Gurren Lagann, its an anime but the beginning of the show to the end of the show is such a fantastical journey.

Greg Bear is a master of that style.

Eon especially when paired with Eternity its sequel.

Forge of God and Anvil of Stars.

Project Hail Mary fits the bill. Though it's popular enough you've likely already read it.

Accelerando by Charles Stross.

One of my recent reads might meet your need. Adrian Tchaikovsky, Children of Time (2015). Recommended by a friend

The bobiverse series could fit for you as well, quite a strong ramp up but starting, well, now.

The Wandering Inn has some moments like this at the beginning. The reader slowly realizes how vast the universe is and it just keeps going.

The Perfect Run is very good as well. The universe and the MC are really fun to read.

"To Sleep in a Sea of Stars" starts pretty grounded, has a weird thing happen to the main character, then massively increases in scope.

It's not quite hard sci-fi, as tech for ftl travel exists. It has some proto-molecule McMuffin as well.

It's by the writer of Eragon, I enjoyed it but I also don't have a discerning taste in author.

You probably already read it, but 2001 is awesome

Horror oriented, but Tales from the Loop and its sequel, Things from the Flood, go like this, the first book rather normal despite its subject, but setting up for the shift into the cosmic horror from the second book. Didn't read The Electric State or The Maze to know if they're part of the same narrative.

seveneves is kind of like that

Using "Old Man's War" and "The Matrix" as a vibe guide (intimate stories with some brain bending twists), here's some I haven't seen mentioned here, yet:

• "The Long Earth" by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
• "The Peace War" by Vernor Vinge
• "A Deepness in the Sky" by Vernor Vinge
• "Walkaway" by Corey Doctorow
• "Paycheck" and "The Minority Report" by Philip K Dick - Both also got decent movies and much of Philip K Dick's work fits this vibe, actually.
• "The Door Into Summer" by Robert Heinlein

The City and the Stars https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_City_and_the_Stars

The hitchhikers guide starts normal, for like a dozen pages.

14 by Peter Clines.

Books or comics?

Project hail Mary,