Pauline Réage,
The classic erotic work. It is uncommon to find a well written erotic novel, and it is unprecidented to find one that exhibits moments of literary and stylistic brilliance while retaining the primary purpose of eroticism. The emphasis on sado-masochism will probably put many people off the book, as will the style, that is reminiscent of Sartre (at least in translation) or Pinter. Reage is unremitting, pitiless, and perhaps in the final analysis, moral. Highly recomended, but beware of Reage fans who have the .sig "Do as you would be done by"...
Timothy Ferris,
Cosmology is not an easy subject, but Ferris paints in broard strokes easily giving you the impression that you understand what he's talking about, and perhaps you will. Generally speaking an up to the minute account of current theories about the universe. Well worth reading, not least for the "contrarian theological afterward".
Greg Bear, ISBN
Another hard SF book. The earth was a casualty of a long running interstellar war between two ancient races and their allies. Survivors rescued by the good guys (?), seek out the homeworlds of the bad guys with a view to evening the score. Greg Bear's universe is a dark and dangerous place where old races seek out and destroy younger races on the basis that they might one day become dangerous. This may well explain why we've yet to find intelligent life in the universe, and why first contact might well be last contact...
Michael Moorcock, ISBN
Prince Elric of Melnibone. The first and greatest of the manifestations of the Eternal Champion, whose destiny is to oppose both Gods, Devils and men in the (sometimes unknowing) service of the Cosmic Balance.
Absolutely classic fantasy from the man who almost single handedly revitalised fantasy as an art-form back in the now long past 60s.
Alan Dean Foster, ISBN
An extremely entertaining mixture of science fiction and fantasy. The fractal nature
of a Navaho sandpainting holds the key to several murders, a shaman with a degree in computer science, and possibly, the universe. Alan Dean Foster at his best. Doo ahashyaa da!