Two of my top favorites have already been mentioned - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Rendezvous with Rama.
So I'll just make mention of a classic I was introduced to via "the back way" from John Carpenter's THE THING. I once did some research long ago around 2000-2002 somewhere. I knew that it was a remake of the 1950s version. Except I was wrong. It wasn't. They are both VERY different films. But they shared a common point of origin. The "short" story (almost novella) by John Campbell "Who Goes There?"
It's a true classic. It's scientifically and psychologically fascinating in the questions it asks (and mostly doesn't answer). John Carpenter's THE THING is based much more closely on this story than the 1950s movie was. And is better for it.
So I'll just make mention of a classic I was introduced to via "the back way" from John Carpenter's THE THING. I once did some research long ago around 2000-2002 somewhere. I knew that it was a remake of the 1950s version. Except I was wrong. It wasn't. They are both VERY different films. But they shared a common point of origin. The "short" story (almost novella) by John Campbell "Who Goes There?"
It's a true classic. It's scientifically and psychologically fascinating in the questions it asks (and mostly doesn't answer). John Carpenter's THE THING is based much more closely on this story than the 1950s movie was. And is better for it.