A couple of mentions so far for Ursula K. Le Guin and I’m here to echo them, and to mention my favourite book of hers that I’ve read (so far): The Dispossessed.

It tells the story of a brilliant physicist from a collectivist, anarchist society who must travel to the hierarchical, individualist, capitalist society that his ancestors split from many years prior. Great story with really interesting politics weaved throughout.

I’ll also add the Mars Trilogy (Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars) by Kim Stanley Robinson. A huge, sprawling narrative about the colonisation and terraforming of Mars. The development of eclogy-based politics and economics plays a big part in the story, as does the development of a new government and constitution. The “hard” science fiction of the novel seems to put some people off (at times long scientific descriptions of landscapes, physical/geological processes, etc.) but I love these books.

For me it’s Irish traditional music. Aside from having an interesting history, the style often takes a very high level of musicianship to play well. A single monophonic instrument can play a tune and the fast-moving stream of notes can simultaneously spell out melody, counterpoint/call-and-response, and harmony, as well as providing a strong rhythmic pulse (it is music to dance to, after all).