The Left Hand Of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin

Ursula K. LeGuin weaves an emotionally complicated tale of a man visiting another planet as an envoy for a galactic confederation of planets called the Ekumen. We are introduced to the main character, Genly Ai, who in his attempt to join the governments of the planet Gethen to the confederation goes awry, and he becomes enveloped in the aggressive political field of a society he does not understand. This fantastic tale pulls readers in with LeGuin’s in depth character development, and is a truly unique journey because of the ambisexuality of the characters of the planet Gethen, who are neither male nor female.

Under The Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer

Jon Krakauer is the master of broken narratives, he forms stories in a fashion that keeps readers on their toes as they are constantly uncovering unspoken truths between the lines of his writing. Under The Banner of Heaven highlights the faults in fundamentalist religion, specifically in a splinter off of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This novel follows the formation of The Church, and in a twist, brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty after they committed a double murder in the name of God.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Many of the authors on this list are household names, but George Orwell inspires a different kind of name recognition. His works have been instrumental in shaping public opinions on controversial topics such as aliens, or in the case of Animal Farm, Marxism and Communism. This novel is overwhelmingly entertaining, told from the point of view of angry and oppressed farm animals, you truly begin to understand the fallacies represented in humans, through craftful metaphors and wonderful characters. After reading this book, a world of references made about its subjects will open up. Making you feel as if you are wearing a lens for allusions.

Anthem by Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand is one of the most critically acclaimed authors of our time, often conceptualizing real issues within our society in complex and dark ways. Her characters speak to the logical, but also animalistic parts of ourselves, as she evolves ideas from the enlightenment period and uses them to her own advantage to truly drive her own points across. Anthem is an eye opening novel and truly inspires readers to form their own opinions on freedom, freewill, and nature versus nurture. Running at about 147 pages, Anthem packs a punch in the short amount of time it takes to read.

IQ84 by Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murakami's IQ84 is a work that epitomizes the life-transforming powers of the Magic Realism(MR) genre of literature. IQ84, following the typical mode of MR writing, sets the story up with a mood that makes the reader feel right at home - a normal character living a normal life in a mundane world; the type of setting readers can easily relate to. After placing the reader comfortably in the shoes of the main character, he then rattles you around - suddenly forcing the character into a flurry of grand philosophical musings and paranormal events bordering so close to the edge of reality that, after lifting your eyes off the page, you'll inevitably reconsider how you conceptualize the 'real world'. While Murakami's unique style of writing is a phenomenal pleasure to read in itself, the actual story of IQ84 is one that can only be done justice by the experience of reading - so hold tight to your grip on reality and go for a ride!

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Although challenging in appearance, this is not a book to pass up on. Heart of Darkness makes intelligent commentary on the objectification of Africa and consists of haunting imagery which readers cannot shake. It spurs more emotional turmoil in its audience in around 100 pages than many novels which are two to three times as long. Conrad’s contemplation on European cruelty yet also its virtues allows readers to view history through the dual perspectives of idealism and cynicism, creating a need for reevaluation in the simplicity of our “known” truths.