First off, you are all wrong. Falstaff is A BEER, dammit! A character in a play? God, what sacrilege will be visited upon us next! As a life-long sci-fi afficianado I have to agree with Tubegroover, though Tolkein's works were more fantasy- than science-fiction. For me Herbert (Dune series), Heinlein (Starship Trooper, Stranger in a Strange Land and the Lazarus Long novels), Farmer (Riverworld and World of Tiers series) are tops. Interestingly, though generally not a big fan of the writer, Stephen King's "The Stand" is a classic good vs. evil story. It's one of the few novels brought to any screen where the true essence of the story was captured in its entirety. And it was made for TV of all media!
Best reviewers
Who are in your opinion the best reviewers out there ? Whether it be from stereophile, TAS or an audio forum, you surely have a few reviewers that you trust and respect. I nominate Robert E. Greene from The Absolute Sound as the best reviewer. He understands live music, knows how to describe what he hears, and appears to be impartial. Your choice ?