My favorite thing about the novel is that it generally doesn't attempt to paint the totalitarian government worse than it has to. It even gives a measured case for freedom- if you really want out from the prescribed lifestyle, you're going to have to face pain and a lot of unpleasant things.

Also does a great job of having the Sci fi - fantasy bridge, which is generally better in my opinion when a work is Sci fi first then fantasy second (think about the Force in Star Wars.) You have the perfectly explained technological and science based universe- and then the wizards show up and no one knows what to do with them.