The holographic universe is another popular one. We have some similar things in mathematics (e.g. anything to do with Godel).

I think, though, that if you want to understand physics, it probably makes sense to devote some of your time to understanding what physicists are excited about.

I have a feeling (and this is heavy speculation) that a lot of strong physicists were fed on pop physics and science fiction before they learned the hard science. This helps approach the subject with an inborn curiosity, which can focus your attention when learning technical subjects.

Pop physics books may not be the ideal way to do this, but it's probably better than nothing at all.