http://www.scifi.com/scifiction/classics/classics_archive/ellison/ellison1.html
Great short sci-fi story or greatest short sci-fi story?

Not sex or anything explicit.  Just... boobies.

Everyone should read this book. Its a very well researched exposition of the origens of christianity. A great read that will change your view of human history, mysticism, paganism, christianity, gnosticism. everything. This book brings it all together. It opens your eyes to the truth

What religious texts have you read through, especially ones that aren't your own religion

Google results are yielding the Talmud and the Koran, though I was thinking more along the lines of Mein Kampf; an author who believes in themself and in their hatred, words that are true to the fullest extent of their creator's imagination.

Of course, I haven't read it, so I don't know if it's a good example, but I hope that there is something more hateful out there other than modern day partisan crap.

or do you people read nothing? Why is this place so devoid of any kind of real content?

What, is no one reading Terry Pratchett here?
I mean, come on guys... Pterry rules...
My favs are the Watch serie and the Death one ( as a lot of people)...
Buggrit.

I'm not advocating a rating system.  But all forms of popular media so far have had a parental advisory statement of some kind- music, movies, television, video games...

Novels have remained relatively untouched.  One can pick up something from an author and find dirty words, violence, and sex without anyone complaining, then pick up another book from the same author and find none of these descriptions.  Really, the only thing seperating mature content is the "young adult" bookshelf and "every other bookshelf" in the store or library.  But kids aren't prevented from reading an "adult" book, and in many cases these books aren't any more adult in content or even more mature.  They may be less unintelligent compared to young adult books, but not always.

So why have novels been unscathed from concerned parents that their favorite science fiction or fantasy novel contained descriptions of sex or the word "fuck"?  Is it the reliance on imagination that seperates words from movies and TV?  Is it the extra effort and will that makes reading more voluntary than an involuntary activity such as watching a film?  Or do people just read what they want, preventing social and religious activists from even coming across certain books unless unless by sheer accident?

Note there have been plenty of banned books, mostly when those books have been introduced in elementary school libraries.  But I'm asking why there is no rating system such as "mature" or "contains descriptions of" statements on the cover.  Even comics say "For mature readers" or "for adults only," but there is little to differentiate one novel's content from another.  I'm not advocating or suggesting this be done in any way, I'm just asking why it hasn't happened yet with our multitude of concerned parents.

Recently I'm trying to find epic (in terms of volume) series to
read with very complex story arc, probably Sci-Fi, but I wouldn't care for Sci-Fi if it would fulfil the other two requirements.

After quick research, I've started reading `Book of the New Sun'
by Gene Wolfe, with intention of reading entire `Solar Cycle'
series.

Right now I'm in the middle of the `Claw of the Conciliator' and
I'm loving it, although I begin to realize that `Solar Cycle' is
not exactly what I was looking for. (I'll finish it nonetheless.)

First of all, `Solar Cycle' consists of `Book of the New Sun',
`Short Sun', and `Long Sun', all of which take place in the same
universe, but I've heard they tell about three separate - not
connected - "stories". Because of this, I didn't pick up
`Foundation' series by Asimov.

Second of all, while its literary style is amazing (and finding
out meanings of words is rewarding in itself, especially when
English is not your first language), storyline is pretty
straightforward, ideas not fully developed (unlike in Stanislaw
Lem), and narration very simple (unlike in Faulkner).

I might be wrong about straightforward storyline in `Solar Cycle'
books, maybe there is more depth in the story than I realize
yet (which would be awesome), but I doubt it...

By complex storyline I mean something more than mere `surprise'
factor, or trick techniques like constant change of time line,
point of views, heroes with amnesia etc. (in fact I hate these
and it's good that Gene Wolfe doesn't do that).

I just finished reading Monstrous Regiment for the second time, and am eagerly awaiting a paperback release of Going Postal.  I'm cheap, sue me.

I love the way Pratchett writes.  Some of the Discworld analogies he creates are so hilariously apt.  He gets bonus points for being literate enough in internet and video game culture to make fun of them properly and subtly.

Also: Guards > Death > Wizards > Witches.  Discuss.