2001

What novel epitomizes science fiction? If I could choose just one to give to a reader who wants to explore SF, it would be 2001. It has that "sense of wonder" that is the hallmark of SF (or at least should be, in my opinion; SF that doesn't provoke awe and wonder regarding the beauty and mystery of the universe does not, I believe, live up to the standards of SF).

Why are we here? What are humans? What makes humans different from highly intelligent machines? What may lie out there? How might space travel look like? These are all questions Arthur C. Clarke explores in the magesterial 2001: A Space Odyssey. As much as it is an odyssey for the characters in the novel, it is an odyssey for the mind as well. Go along for the journey and you will be greatly rewarded.