Top Ten List was Re: KV Language

 "Sorrow Killer" and such names reminded me of my Top Ten All
Time Best SF Books: Donald Kingsbury's Courtship Rite.	If you
haven't read it, it's undoubtedly because you haven't found a
copy yet (or else you're a drooling, ignorant oaf who is really
hankering to get back to Games Workslop).   When you do locate a
copy, you'll want to read it two or three times, because
Kingsbury doesn't stop the action to explain exotic
cultures--"exotic" is an understatement--and you'll see new
implications each time.

Since I'm sure you're all waiting with bated breath to find out
what the other nine are...
(no particular order)
Mote in God's Eye
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
The Warrior's Apprentice (Lois Bujold)
The Island Worlds (Eric Kotani & John Maddox Roberts)
A Fire Upon the Deep (Vernor Vinge) -- this is the one most like
Courtship Rite, by the way

Hm.  That's only 10 if we're counting in base-6.  So let's
consider  The Ganymede Club (Sheffield), The Moon Goddess and
the Son (Kingsbury again), perhaps Civil Campaign (Bujold), and
let's throw in a Heinlein juvenile for old times' sake, say
Space Cadet.