The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Don't panic! Originally a radio drama, later novelized, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy follows one Arthur Dent and his adventures off-planet (after his house is destroyed, nevermind he Earth) alongside an editor for the eponymous guide. Satire, wordplay, humor, and meta-humor ensue. The specifics depend on which particular version of the story you consume, and there are many.

Few books have been so quoted, so influential, so ubiquitous, as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is among nerds, geeks, science-fiction fans, gamers, and their ilk. Douglas Adams stuck a chord with his sometimes absurdist humor and eminently quotable writing. Every nerd, geek, and enthusiast of most things should at least know what it's all about. It is indeed quite a faux pas to admit to not at least knowing the plot in many circles.

To be perfectly honest, it doesn't hold up all that well. At least, not this particular novelization. (The radio dramas do so much better). Solidly written, it is best enjoyed before one has consumed all of the referential media stemming from it. It a case where the original has been superseded by better comedy, and is important but not independently great against contemporary writing. Worth reading, to be sure, but no longer "laugh-out-loud."