If you want to read a book from the 80s that isn't horribly outdated, your best bet is to seek a female author.

A Door Into Ocean is about non violent resistance to an imperialist patriarchy. About the dangers of deadly technology to humanity and the environment. About a path to a society that will not destroy itself.

It pits a women lead planet that has learned to live in balance with nature and is governed through consensus against a men lead planet that is governed by a hierarchy and the threat of force.

The far future setting and restrictions on technology create a clean break from current trends and help prevent the novel from dating itself. Though the fear of nuclear war is a major aspect of this universe.

The complexity of the Sharer culture, it's language and philosophy and the powerful will of the women that make up it's collective are very compelling.

I appreciate that Slonczewski gives us two main points of view, that of a mature noble woman and of a young commoner man. This allows us to experience migration to Shora at two different levels, (and we don't have to spend all of our time with a stupid teenager).