I'm not sure if you actually want something monospaced, or just something that feels like it.

The Droid fonts are actually pretty nice, and open source (at least some of them), but I'm not sure if that's what you're looking for.

SAX Mono is maybe a little closer to what you're looking for, though?

Droid is pretty nice, though isn't quite what I'm after (I do like the open source aspect though).

I'm not adverse to spending a reasonable amount of money, just not the kind Courier Sans demands—it tends to be necessary for the variation in weights and italics I'd like, which unfortunately SAX Mono is missing, as it is quite nice.

I'm not necessarily after something that is monospaced, just the feel of it, without necessarily being so—if you know what I mean.

Thanks for your help nonetheless!

You don't want anything remotely close to Courier for a body font.

hhp

Did you see the link? It's not as Courier as it sounds, i.e. is proportional.

I did see the link (and I know what you meant by "pseudo-monospaced"). Courier has so many idiosyncracies that you can't evoke it and stay reasonably readable. It's monoline, its serifs look like stems, but most of all it's monospaced. Being monospaced is a curse in terms of readability; pretending to be monospaced is just diluting that curse. Is it possible to dilute it enough? Maybe, but I highly doubt it. I think when you dilute it enough you've already gone way beyond looking monospaced at all. Probably because readability is in a different ballpark than conscious evaluation. And I haven't even elaborated on it being monoline and having ridiculous serifs.

Courier is simply not something to emulate for extended reading, no
matter how much it might appeal to a certain ideology or aesthetic.

hhp

I agree with its monolinity being a downfall, but the sans version certainly isn't monospaced, and doesn't have serifs much more than an accentuated t.

I very much appreciate what you've said, but wonder if you have any particular suggestions for fonts that might fit the bill, relative to what we've both said. Something slightly removed from the serifs/sans-serifs generally used for body copy.

Would Officina be too mundane?

hhp

I feel bad. I just came across a typeface that seemed to be exactly what you were looking for, but I can't remember what it was or how I found it--I was looking at something else.