Brave New World
By Aldous Huxley
Brave New World is probably the most prophetic novels I've ever read. The book, published in 1931, predicted many things about the modern world that have come to fruition, including the state of modern advertising and slogans. It's also a sci-fi adventure which I love. It's been a while since I last read it, but I remember enjoying it more than just about any other book I've ever read.
A Clockwork Orange
By Anthony Burgess
Another future-fi story. I am absolutely in love with both the book and the Stanley Kubrick film based on it. The use of invented words and slang in place of modern-english is beautiful, and also trusting of the intelligence of the book's readers (in that the book takes no extra effort to teach the reader the language, letting you find out what things mean for yourself). The story is a fascinating and thrilling exploration of societal expectations, government-sponsored control, fear, joy, hypocrisy, and rebelliousness.
I believe that the book (1962) and the film (1971) are both some of the earliest example of what I would consider the Punk Movement that grew in the seventies on through today.
Go, Dog, Go!
By P.D. Eastman
This is undoubtedly the first book I remember LOVING. I begged my parents to read it to me many, many, many times when I was a kid. This is probably the single most influential book of my life. I LOVE cars, I LOVE dogs, I LOVE the color red (featured prominently in the book). My kids will have this book.
I read "Go, Dog. Go!" when I was small, too! My favorite part is when all the dogs meet up at the gigantic tree.
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