'Consider Phlebas' from Iain Banks
The culture novels of Banks are always a fun to read and I really recommend this series to every SF-fan. In this book it is a great start, with Horza reciting the beginning of a novel with strange content to distract himself from the fact that he is executed currently in a very unpleasant way. I could name another cool thing from the culture-series, the reveal of the full name of the ship named Mistake me not ...
'Fables for Robots' from Stanislaw Lem
Well, basically the whole idea of the stories, to make fairy tales about robots. if I have to single out something, it would be 'The Three Electroknights', that was extremely funny.
'Desolation Road' from Ian McDonald and 'The Carpet Makers' from Andreas Eschbach
Although two very distinct novels, one of the basic things in both books I found very refreshing: the way all the high-tech is at work and at the same time people living in simple circumstances.
'Songmaster' from Orson Scott Card
The assasination-moment is pretty strong.
'All You Zombies' from Robert Heinlein
Well, this story only consists of time-travel-paradoxon. Every turn has surprises.
And for fun I add 'La jetée', a movie from Chris marker. It is not so surprising in itself, but for everyone already knowing 'Twelve Monkeys' to see where terry Gilliams took it's inspiration and how he transformed it.
