I've always enjoyed when a work of fiction manages to make a point so well that it's the most useful and convenient way to discuss a class of real-world situations.<p>Works particularly well when a work does so in a timeless way. Blunt references to current events or specific real-world analogues don't hold up well to time; the observations that stand the test of time never make you immediately think "oh, he's referring to $SPECIFIC_REAL_WORLD_THING, groan".