Babel-17

Okay, I figured it out. Why do I love some sci-fi and am completely disappointed by other very popular sci-fi classics? Here are two things I value a great deal in books: 1) literary value (deep thoughts, beautiful thoughts); or 2) plots that amuse me either because they are fun or because they are new. Here's what won't carry a book for me: interesting sci-fi or fantasy concepts without 1 or 2. This was wasn't for me. But I can see how it was the father of so many other works.