The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K. LeGuin
Considered a classic of speculative fiction, this novel explores what it would be like to live in a society with none of our gender distinctions. A diplomatic envoy is sent to a world whose inhabitants are androgynous most of the time, only changing (randomly) into male or female during a brief reproductive season. LeGuin, the daughter of a famous anthropologist, imagines what this would mean to every aspect of society and history, in her unique style: plainly written, but highly evocative and layered with interlocked images and themes. Despite the serious themes, this is an engaging story with two main characters the reader comes to care about.
-Richard
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