The Left Hand of Darkness

This was the first Ursula K. Le Guin that I ever read and it just blew me away. The world building was immaculate and, although the plot of the story was quite simplistic, the development of the characters and the overlaying of the complex social and political issues added layers of depth. Le Guin explores, among other things, how gender dominates and drives so many aspects of our lives and, without degenerating into a soppy love story, how friendship can transcend huge differences. Throw into the mix a little global warming, prison camps, genetics and space travel and you have such a rich novel that it just begs to be read again and again.