As a massive Heinlein fan I’ll say Starship Troopers because I think that’s a fascinating discussion about what you owe your country or the price of citizenship. Since Heinlein is my favorite author I’ll pick another one as well.. A Scanner Darkly by Philip K Dick. I know he had drug issues and this book is an interesting look at the cycle of drugs and addiction and the ending was tragic but also very realistic. I like that the movie included his tribute at the end.
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I was thinking about your question, and the more I thought about it, the more a particular name started to climb to the top of the pile. And it may be a name you won't expect.
That name? Vonnegut.
?!
I think we're all familiar with Harrison Bergeron (especially lately), but if you haven't read Cat's Cradle, do yourself a big favor and run on down and grab a copy.
"It's wampeters and karases all the way down!"
There's another one where the protagonist keeps finding himself on Jupiter, but I'm having trouble remembering it. Maybe I'll take my own advice. I mean, most of his books you can read in an afternoon.
Update: Sirens of Titan, and I was way off.
Vonnegut also invented prions which decades later won some scientist a Nobel prize in Medicine.
i think Vonnegut was probably the best living American author of my lifetime, the second half of the twentieth century. It was a privilege to share it with him; he is missed.