The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin is absolutely, no doubt, one of the greatest sci fi books of all time. It also could not have broken the glass ceiling in a more awesome, on the nose way. Our first unanimous 5 out of 5.
Published in 1969; won both the Hugo and Nebula awards.
Brent: 5 stars. So damn good, it's short, it's amazing, it will make you think for years, and it broke all kinds of barriers. UKLG is definitely in the GOAT conversation.
Cody: 5 stars. Refreshing to read a science fiction book that does not rely on violence for conflict, and imagine a future and alternate species (Humans B) who do not revolve around sex and violence, as well as alien invasion that looks more like cultural anthropology than colonialism.
Here's the setup:
The story follows Genly Ai, the first Envoy from the other human worlds of the galaxy to the planet Winter (Gethen). Winter is a cold, hostile world in the depths of a never-ending ice age. The Gethenians who live on Winter have been isolated from the rest of humanity for eons, and have a unique difference from the rest of humanity. They spend most of their lives hermaphroditic, but enter kemmer once a month, the time when they become sexually active and develop either male or female sex organs depending on the month and who else is entering kemmer at the same time. The same person can carry a baby and be the male partner in the same lifetime (and even with the same partner for different kemmers).
Genly’s assignment is to get the nations of Winter to join the Ekumen, a loose collection of human worlds that share knowledge and try to improve the lives of all humankind. Genly has to navigate an alien culture, the mad king Argaven, and two feuding nations to try and complete his mission. Most importantly, he must learn who to trust, and how to build a relationship with people so different from himself.
Hugonauts' Thoughts:
The Left Hand of Darkness blows us away every time we read it! This is definitely one of our go-to recommendations for non sci-fi fans who think speculative fiction is low brow. The book is so damn good it transcends genre.
It was the first book by a woman to win the Hugo or Nebula awards (it won both) - and Ursula K Le Guin could not have shattered that glass ceiling in a more on-the-nose way. Not only did she do it, but she did it with a book that examines the idea of what a world might be like without gender.
Left Hand of Darkness is also really tight. Le Guin manages to create an entire, fully realized world in only 300 pages. Short chapters mixed into the first half of the novel tell the myths of the Gethenians, and Genly’s travels across the continent and the bizarre and interesting cultural practices, religions, and seemingly superhuman abilities he encounters will transport you to Winter. It is like no place you’ve ever been. Succinct writing is rare in speculative fiction, and perhaps what makes this novel feel like it transcends genre.
There are so many deep themes and big ideas wrapped up in this small package too. First and most obviously, a species of humans without gender, and the society they create as a result, is such an interesting thought experiment. Loyalty is also a big part of the book - personal, family, and national - as well as what happens when those loyalties contradict. What can happen within nationalism, and when loyalty is to a government instead of to other people? Is it possible to explore and grow to understand an alien culture without ulterior motives or colonization? And how can you develop trust and a deep positive relationship with someone who is deeply, deeply different than yourself?
Big time must read.
Related Books
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Exhalation - Ted Chiang
Ted Chiang's unbelievable short story collection explores worlds that are analogous to our own and very genuine, but with subtle changes. He is a master of the "what if this thing was different?" story.
The City and the City - China Miéville
A thrilling police procedural that takes place in an equally thrilling (and mysterious) setting - two cities that somehow exist in the same space. A story in which the place is as interesting as its people.
The Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie
Two Indian immigrants to the UK are on a hijacked plane that explodes midflight. They survive, miraculously, and afterwards one begins to take on the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel, while the other begins to look like the devil.
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