I discovered Life because of a novel written about a competitive version - The Gameplayers of Zan by M.A. Foster. It's very 70s, so it's a little ponderous and

I discovered Life because of a novel written about a competitive version - The Gameplayers of Zan by M.A. Foster. It's very 70s, so it's a little ponderous and top heavy, more than a little hippyish, but with a distinctive vibe - a bit of Dune with overtones of Blade Runner set in a partial utopia of sorts. And some unexpected implications for cellular automata. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to read something unusual. It made a real impression on me at the time. Note: DO NOT READ THE REVIEWS on Amazon or Goodreads. There's an incredible plot twist at the heart of the book, and some of the reviews give it away.