Single best book/movie/song/game/article ever

[Squeak]

This is not really a serious list, because listing the best is always impossible. So I've just opted to write what first occurred to me when it thought "best", which might just be a case of what's in the top of my mind right now.

- The Stones of Venice
Perhaps the most influential book ever on architecture and general aesthetics and also very influential on politics.
One of the few literary works that is as beautifully written and compelling to read as a fictional work.

- Raiders of the Lost Ark
Distilled adventure like it has never been done before or since (Indy III was good
too but not quite Raiders).

- Feel Flows
As good at any of Wilsons songs and of course with his production. Absolutely amazing lyrics (I'm not one to say that often) and music out of this world.

- Mario 64
Did just about everything you always dreamed videogames would someday do. And still the best at it after 10 years.

- Article? Hmm... Though one. I'll have to pass for now.

 

[mito]

Iko-Iko by the Grateful Dead on April 10, 1987 at the UIC Pavillion.

I thought long and hard on this one, but that one is the very best of my experiences so far on music/game/movies. Damn that was a good show.

EDITED BITS: I'm changing my answer to the whole damned show. I just grabbed it and am re-listening to it and it's the experience of the whole thing.

BTW- You can hear me do me banshee cry in a few spots, happy memories.

American Beauty, a classic.

 

[Citrous]

Everquest.

 

[XMAN26]

What is the single best one for you? No lists, just one? It can be fiction, news, scientific or whatever. But only the single best one. No seconds or thirds or whatever!

For me, that would probably be "The Forever War", a book by Joe Haldeman. I've got lots of other things in all categories that scores very high, but that one is in my top spot.

Book - SoulForge
Movie - Akira(SE Tin version)
Song - Nothing Else Matters Metalica
Game - XCOMs

 

[Bigus Dickus]

ooh... tough question. What medium do I generally prefer? Does that matter? What has touched me the deepest? What has affected my life the most? What do I consider to be nearest the pinnacle of human creative achievement?

All of those generated different answers.

After much thought, I've settled on.... Unreal Tournament, CTF, Facing Worlds, low grav.

Not the best technical game. Not the most moving. Certainly not the height of human artistic achievements. But it did consume several years of my life, much of that time to the tune of a few hours per day. And it did provide the deepest enjoyment of practically any hobby/entertainment ever, for the longest period of time. That one level, always the same settings, playing against other guys who had also perfected their game for that singular niche, such that our duels were executed better than scripted movie stunts. Ahh... the memories.

But I'll cheat and mention the runners up, against the rules. Book/movie would be Contact, even with all its glaring flaws. Song would be Rach's third concerto, even though I think there are better written songs that one moves me to the tune of about one listen a week.

 

[RussSchultz]

Book/movie would be Contact, even with all its glaring flaws.

As sappy as it sounds, that movie re-invigorated my career at NASA, and got me to start and complete another 3 year project related to, you guessed it, interplanetary exploration (a mars lander payload that investigated self sufficiency, including oxygen generation).

Of course, that project never flew (due to political reasons), and now I'm in consumer electronics making twice what I did at NASA, but the movie did have a profound impact on me.

 

[Dresden]

Movie- Insomnia

 

[<nu>faust]

little prince by exupery

 

[Frank]

The idea of this thread was to choose only one, from whatever media you want. Only the one you like best. Not one for each media.

 

[mito]

it's tough.

there are too many "best" movies, songs, books, bands around there to choose only one

 

[vazel]

it's tough.

there are too many "best" movies, songs, books, bands around there to choose only one

I was able to choose only one even though I have about a couple dozen books/movies/games I worship. But in this thread people seem to have just confused what the op meant rather than it just being another case of internet attention whores wanting to share more than what the discussion calls for.

 

[Phil]

Best game? IMHO Metal Gear Solid 3 (Snake-Eater) for PS2.

Absolutely stunning and impressive in every way...

 

[Darkon]

The idea of this thread was to choose only one, from whatever media you want. Only the one you like best. Not one for each media.

In that case i choose a book, and the book would be Gorky Park

 

[zed]

As sappy as it sounds, that movie re-invigorated my career at NASA, and got me to start and complete another 3 year project related to, you guessed it, interplanetary exploration (a mars lander payload that investigated self sufficiency, including oxygen generation).

nice story, though if u enjoyed the film u might wanna check out the book, personally i found it much superior to the film

 

[NavNucST3]

The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

 

[tabs]

If my last name was dumbass I'd probably not use it in print.