Yes, I think universe is one of the most innovative sci-fi ever written in terms of using plausible science to form a plot.

I also appreciated they went into a lot of effort to explain, technically, how each plot element worked. For example they explained the science behind the gates in great detail, the shields, the air system, the stones, the vastness of space between the galaxies, etc.. don’t need to go into more detail it’s kind of spoilers.

By doing it that way they made sure that all the plot twists were simple and obvious in hindsight but difficult to predict beforehand, which was very satisfying.