Write In For May's Poll: The BEST Stand Alone Science Fiction Novel

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We're overdue for a new poll here.  I think after the epic scope of the last one and it's three months of quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals a moment's respite was needed.  Also, I kept asking people what the new poll should be about and getting back the sound of crickets on a lonely stretch of late-summer Michigan backroads.  But I think I'm going to go with the epic and the respite when I tell the story.

Yep, it was just too epic.  We needed a break from all the epicness.

So our last poll was about Science Fiction/Fantasy series.  As was pointed out, it probably should have been one or the other, but what was intended as a whimsical little poll turned into the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny.  This time let's talk about stand alone books.  And let's limit it to SCIENCE FICTION.  The book can be the start of a series (or even in a series) as many books that did well eventually had sequels written when one wasn't first intended.  It has to also stand alone as a single work.  (So no ending on a cliff hanger.)  For example, Star Wars would be a stand alone movie, but The Empire Strikes Back would not.

What is the best stand alone Science Fiction novel?

You may use any criteria you wish.  Most foundational.  Most literary.  Most fun.  Best sex scene that I used to fap to because we didn't have internet when I was a kid.  Or even some combination of these factors that only you know in dark places that you don't talk about at parties.

You may also define Science Fiction however you wish.  I'm not going to police the meanings of the sub-genres, so unless your submission is WAY off base (like Spell For Chameleon or something), I will pretty much accept that you have your reasons for calling it Science Fiction.  (Just know that eventually we'll do a poll for fantasy, superhero fiction, alternative history, horror, utopian/distopian, and surreal/weird/other, and maybe even other main genres if there's interest, so if you love a book that seems like a square peg for science fiction, you can save it for later.)

I'll be putting the following books up for consideration.

Left Hand of Darkness--LeGuin
1984-Orwell (which is alternative history NOW, but was science fiction when it was written)
Slaughterhouse Five--Vonnegut

But three choices do not a poll make, so I need you all to write in some suggestions that will join them on the poll.  Please limit it to one choice or perhaps two if you are torn and simply cannot decide.  But this is for best novel, so choosing which one is best is part of it. I'll probably put the poll up this coming weekend.

I'm not going to do multiple rounds this time, so which novels go up will depend on how many times something gets nominated.  If there are ties, I will weigh more heavily those who responds HERE (instead of on FB or G+), and those who respond first.

And lastly, these lists tend to be ABSOLUTE sausage fests, so please please please feel free to nominate women authors.  There are some faboo writers out there with voices outside of the white male paradigm.  Butler, L'Engle, Shelly, Atwood, LeGuin and more have written wonderful science fiction that is worth considering.