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The Left Hand of Darkness (Hainish Cycle)

3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 · rating details · 28,025 ratings · 1,829 reviews

Genly Ai is an emissary from the human galaxy to Winter, a lost, stray world. His mission is to bring the planet back into the fold of an evolving galactic civilization, but to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own culture and prejudices and those that he encounters. On a planet where people are of no gender--or both--this is a broad gulf indeed. The inventiveness...more Genly Ai is an emissary from the human galaxy to Winter, a lost, stray world. His mission is to bring the planet back into the fold of an evolving galactic civilization, but to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own culture and prejudices and those that he encounters. On a planet where people are of no gender--or both--this is a broad gulf indeed. The inventiveness and delicacy with which Le Guin portrays her alien world are not only unusual and inspiring, they are fundamental to almost all decent science fiction that has been written since. In fact, reading Le Guin again may cause the eye to narrow somewhat disapprovingly at the younger generation: what new ground are they breaking that is not already explored here with greater skill and acumen? It cannot be said, however, that this is a rollicking good story. Le Guin takes a lot of time to explore her characters, the world of her creation, and the philosophical themes that arise.

If there were a canon of classic science fiction, The Left Hand of Darkness would be included without debate. Certainly, no science fiction bookshelf may be said to be complete without it. But the real question: is it fun to read? It is science fiction of an earlier time, a time that has not worn particularly well in the genre. The Left Hand of Darkness was a groundbreaking book in 1969, a time when, like the rest of the arts, science fiction was awakening to new dimensions in both society and literature. But the first excursions out of the pulp tradition are sometimes difficult to reread with much enjoyment. Rereading The Left Hand of Darkness, decades after its publication, one feels that those who chose it for the Hugo and Nebula awards were right to do so, for it truly does stand out as one of the great books of that era. It is immensely rich in timeless wisdom and insight.

The Left Hand of Darkness is science fiction for the thinking reader, and should be read attentively in order to properly savor the depth of insight and the subtleties of plot and character. It is one of those pleasures that requires a little investment at the beginning, but pays back tenfold with the joy of raw imagination that resonates through the subsequent 30 years of science fiction storytelling. Not only is the bookshelf incomplete without owning it, so is the reader without having read it. --L. Blunt Jackson

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Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Published August 28th 1982 by Ace (first published 1969)

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The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

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Jun 06, 2013 Nataliya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Nataliya by: Tracy

Shelves: hugo-nebula, 2012-reads, excellent-reads, favorites, ursula-k-le-guin, location-is-the-true-protagonist, 2013-reads

The question that permeates Le Guin's 1969 sensational for its time novel about the ambisexual society is what remains once the male and the female labels are stripped away? What is underneath the labels - is it simply humanity?

'Androgynous' - Which is how I could not help but picture the Gethenians.

"A man wants his virility regarded, a woman wants her femininity appreciated, however indirect and subtle the indications of regard and appreciation. On Winter they will not exist. One is respected

...more
The question that permeates Le Guin's 1969 sensational for its time novel about the ambisexual society is what remains once the male and the female labels are stripped away? What is underneath the labels - is it simply humanity?

'Androgynous' - Which is how I could not help but picture the Gethenians.

"A man wants his virility regarded, a woman wants her femininity appreciated, however indirect and subtle the indications of regard and appreciation. On Winter they will not exist. One is respected and judged only as a human being. It is an appalling experience."

Like some readers, Genly Ai, the protagonist of this brilliantly written leisurely-paced cerebral sci-fi classic, for a while just cannot seem to move past the ambisexuality aspect. Ai is an ambassador to the planet Gethen to convince its leaders to join the interplanetary union Ekumen. The inhabitants of Gethen differ from other humanoid races in two aspects: (1) they have adapted well to tolerate the Ice Age climate of their world, and (2) they are ambisexual. For the majority of lunar cycle they are essentially neuter, and for several days they enter a sexual phase, kemmer, during which they attain either male or female characteristics and become capable of sex.

"What is a friend, in a world where any friend may be a lover at a new phase of the moon? Not I, locked in my virility: no friend to Therem Harth, or any other of his race. Neither man nor woman, neither and both, cyclic, lunar, metamorphosing under the hand's touch, changelings in the human cradle, they were no flesh of mine, no friends; no love between us."

The landscapes of Gethen. Minus the Star Wars thingies.

Ai, a male proud of his virility, does not feel comfortable among the Gethians. He is always suspicious, always mistrusting of these people whose essence he refuses to understand. He views himself as "a stallion in harness with a mule", chuckles at the idea of a pregnant King. He tries to view the Gethians as male, and is appalled at all the femininity that he sees in them, feeling that it is wrong, inferior, alien to him. In the world of wholeness, not of duality, he feels lost and isolated without the familiar stark division that rules our lives. After all, the first question that people immediately ask at birth is - boy or girl? Man or woman?

[Sidenote: Remember the whole relatively recent conundrum about Canadian parents who decided to raise their child without telling the society the child's gender? They received death threats for that attempt, so ingrained is the gender division among us].

Ai is not a bad guy. He is just lost, confused, and isolated - a human, in the other words. He is so out of his comfort zone he does not comprehend how to deal with the society that he views as passive, where there is less competitiveness, and where crying is perfectly fine. He finds it so hard to accept this world without the quientesential 'maleness' or 'femininity' - even though he struggles to define exactly what it is that separates men from women.

Ai becomes so terribly isolated in his alienness, longing for something familiar. In this strange and unfamiliar world of wholeness, he clings to the eternal human "Us vs. Them" divide, refusing in his loneliness and fear to look beyond the usual, the prejudice. Until circumstances force him to get to know Estraven, and Ai finally sees in him "not a man's face and not a woman's, a human face."
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"A profound love between two people involves, after all, the power and chance of doing profound hurt."

Therem Harth Estraven, in my opinion, is the true hero of this story. Estraven sees the promise that the union with Ekumen has for his world. In his attempts to help Ai, he becomes viewed as a traitor (view spoiler). But it takes a long time and many trials and tribulations for Ai to recognize Estraven for what and who he is - just HUMAN, to move past the uncomfortable and the prejudice and discover simple human love.

"It is yin and yang. Light is the left hand of darkness... how did it go? Light, dark. Fear, courage. Cold, warmth. Female, male. It is yourself, Therem. Both and one. A shadow on snow."

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The language of this book was initially a stumbling block for me. It was dry and very cerebral, making it difficult at first to become immersed in the story. But that was the language of Genly Ai, the man who was not meant to be likeable at the very start. But then I got to the first interlude - short and very poetic legends of Gethen which help shed light on the nature of this world and help us see the events of this story in a different context and different light. The beauty that Le Guin's language reaches during these interludes is breathtaking. The segments of the story written in Estraven's voice are also very distinct, very urgent, simple, and filled with so much dignity and quiet resolve that it made my heart leap and weep at the same time.
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The Left Hand of Darkness is a deep story of humanity, love, betrayal, alienation, and acceptance. But it is not an easy book to read. It is not meant to take you on an exciting whirlwind ride. Instead its aim is to make the readers think and reflect. It may be slow to start, but it's hard to put down as well. I walked away from it feeling that a part of me has been changed forever - and for the better. I walked away from it with more questions than I had when I started - and that's a very good thing, as far as I am concerned.

I initially gave it 4 stars for the slow start and Ai's initial unlikeability. Upon further reflection, I increase the rating to five stars. It fully deserves it.

"And I saw then again, and for good, what I had always been afraid to see, and had pretended not to see in him: that he was a woman as well as a man. Any need to explain the sources of that fear vanished with the fear; what I was left with was, at last, acceptance of him as he was."

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Jul 10, 2007 Liz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I've become rather bitter with sci-fi over the years, as it used to be my favorite genre. But you can only read so many space operas and pretentious near futures before it gets to you a little.

And then you decide to give an author a go because of some weird research string you were on... and it rekindles your love of why you started reading it in the first place.

LeGuin approaches sci-fi as it should be; a thought experiment. Instead of spending pages upon pages describing the minutiae of every...more

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May 09, 2013 Ian Graye rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-sci-fanta-side, read-2013, reviews, reviews-4-stars

No Mere Extrapolation

"The Left Hand of Darkness" is a work of science fiction published by Ursula Le Guin in 1969.

At the time, it sought to differentiate itself from most other science fiction in two ways.

Firstly, as Le Guin explains in a subsequent introduction, it didn’t just take a current phenomenon and extrapolate it scientifically into the future in some predictive or cautionary fashion.

Secondly, it explored the nature of sexuality as a subject matter from a sophisticated, feminist point...more

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Dec 31, 2010 Cassy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, award-hugo, fiction-scifi-fantasy-paranormal, physical-own, region-elsewhere

I generally visualize a book as a scale. An old fashioned scale like the one Lady Justice holds. On left side, you found the academic merits: concept, structure, significance. On the right side is the entertainment value. My goal is to find a well-balanced book that keeps me turning the page yet leaves me feeling full and even a little cocky. Sometimes I am in the mood for an unbalanced book. But if the scale is fully tilted to the left (supposedly genius but unreadable or boring) or to the righ...more

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May 16, 2013 Cecily rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-or-futuristic, american-canadian

The meagre 2* is more a reflection of my enjoyment rather than an objective measure of the book (it has won prestigious awards). It wasn't to my taste, and that was exacerbated by mismatched expectations. It is not really sci-fi, but is part political intrigue and part boys-own adventure in an inhospitable climate. The setting is another planet in the future, but right from the start, mentions of rain and reign contributed to the non-sci-fi feel.

There were some some fascinating ideas, but I felt...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Jennifer (aka EM) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is not a review, so much as a connected set of observations about this novel. All of these comments are merely thoughts that went through my mind as I became aware of what was missing, what seemed odd, in this otherwise rich and compelling tale, governed by the overarching question in my mind about how UKL would write this, were she writing it in 2012.

First, by way of caveat, I've read only one other UKL novel -- A Wizard of Earthsea -- and that was more than 25 years ago in what was known...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Keely rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novel, american, science-fiction, reviewed, space-opera

The term 'Speculative Fiction' was developed out of a desire by some authors to separate themselves from the more pejorative aspects of the Sci Fi genre. Harlan Ellison famously hated the term 'sci fi', scorning the implication that his stories had anything in common with Flash Gordon or Lost in Space.

In Speculative Fiction, technology is not there to facilitate the plot, or to dazzle readers with fantasy, but to provide the author with an opportunity to explore the human mind in unexpected, inn...more

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Jan 04, 2008 J. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: in-new-york

This book is a science fiction classic. To fans of feminist and political science fiction, it is more than a classic - it is a touchstone, a founding document, a rallying post.

It follows Genly Ai, an envoy from the Ekumen (a perhaps-utopian union of worlds) to the planet Gethen, where the entire habitable zone of the planet has a climate at the extreme cold end of human tolerance - and where Gethenian natives lack biological sex and gender, but can unpredictably develop either male or female app...more This book is a science fiction classic. To fans of feminist and political science fiction, it is more than a classic - it is a touchstone, a founding document, a rallying post.

It follows Genly Ai, an envoy from the Ekumen (a perhaps-utopian union of worlds) to the planet Gethen, where the entire habitable zone of the planet has a climate at the extreme cold end of human tolerance - and where Gethenian natives lack biological sex and gender, but can unpredictably develop either male or female apparatus when "in kemmer," which is a monthly cyclic state of being ready and driven to mate (yes, there has to be a better way to say this, and Le Guin manages it). Le Guin, as always, writes with specificity, honesty, and care. She devotes equal attention the the effects of both the cold and the odd biology on Gethenian culture, and never shoehorns in an authorial manifesto. Consequently, this book is no sort of call to revolution, despite being one of the first science fiction novels to deal with gender so intelligently and sensitively, not as a "war of the sexes" but as something far more nuanced. It is only feminist in that the emergent examination of the concept of gender is a thorough and intelligent one, and most of those tend to, after analysis, support a feminist viewpoint. Le Guin once said something along the lines of: "I hoped, after I had taken away male and female, that what remained might be, simply, human." Mostly, though, it is an early and exceptionally incisive example of anthropological science fiction which opened the field to further investigations of this sort.

There's a plot in there, too, eventually, and two characters whose relationship is convincingly troubled enough to be involving. The book gets much more compelling, I think, in the second half, as events propel those two characters onward and away from their fellows. In their isolation much of what was hinted at before is laid bare, and I experienced at least one moment of real awe and beauty. Which, you know, goes a long way toward making a book personally relevant, too.(less)

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Dec 27, 2007 Jerzy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is definitely not a space opera about rockets and robots; nor, despite some reviews, does it seem very "feminist" to me.

It's just a brilliant novel about people, relationships, and desires, a thought-experiment that leads to lots of insights about deep topics:
The impact of gender differences on human cultures. The ethnographer's role as a student, diplomat, or missionary, and difficulties of being alone in a foreign culture. Hospitality and honesty in harsh climates. Fear, deception, and mi...more

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Aug 24, 2010 Kaion rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, lgbt

The Should I Read This Book Quiz: Ursula Le Guin is considered a Very Important science fiction writer for her anthropological chops, and The Left Hand of Darkness her classic in which a lone representative of the Ekumen is sent down to a heretofore un-contacted planet to convince its denizens to join this interplanetary human collective. Genly Ai’s mission is complicated by his inexperience with their society—the most significant difference with his own being that all Gethenians are neither mal...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Rebecca Watson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2013

I really, really enjoyed this and was sad when it ended. Le Guin has a great way with words, and her use of metaphor makes for a rich experience. Ironically, though, my one criticism involves semantics: this is a story about a world with no established gender amongst humanoids. And yet, she consistently uses the masculine pronouns and "man" to describe them. She hangs a lampshade on this early on in the book, quoting from a field report in which a woman (a human from earth) laments the lack of a...more I really, really enjoyed this and was sad when it ended. Le Guin has a great way with words, and her use of metaphor makes for a rich experience. Ironically, though, my one criticism involves semantics: this is a story about a world with no established gender amongst humanoids. And yet, she consistently uses the masculine pronouns and "man" to describe them. She hangs a lampshade on this early on in the book, quoting from a field report in which a woman (a human from earth) laments the lack of a neutral word to describe them and points out that this will force the reader to imagine a male instead of a non-gendered species.

But hanging a lampshade on it doesn't fix it. What would have fixed it would be using the aliens' chosen pronouns, and for the life of me I can't figure out why Le Guin didn't do that. There's plenty of alien words used throughout the book, so much so that if I just opened up to a random page and typed a sentence, it would be incomprehensible to someone who hasn't read the book. Let's try it:

"Early in Hakanna we heard in Gorinhering on the static-fuzzed Palace Bulletin that King Argaven had announced his expectation of an heir. Not another kemmering-son, of which he already had seven, but an heir of the body, king-son."

That passage would hardly be more difficult if "his" and "he" were changed to "zes" and "ze" or "viz" and "ve" or honestly whatever else you want. (EDIT because many people on Twitter appear confused: my examples here are existing inventions but I am suggesting that Le Guin could have invented her own words, just as she invented an entire dictionary of other words in the Gethenian tongue.)

One could argue that Le Guin wanted to play on the surprise we feel when, for instance, a king gets pregnant, but the misconception that the characters were all male simply wasn't subverted often or strongly enough to make up for what is lost in ensuring the reader is envisioning the people the way they truly are.

All that said, it was still a beautifully written book with an interesting premise that Le Guin explores well, in terms of the social ramifications of a genderless culture where sex is limited. I'm looking forward to eventually reading The Dispossessed, which I've heard takes place in the same universe.(less)

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Mar 03, 2010 Tatiana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of quality sc-fi, people who like to think

Shelves: 2010, sci-fi, favorites, nebula

As seen on The Readventurer

"The Left Hand of Darkness" turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise for me. I do not read science fiction often and had to abandon my last attempt ("The Hitchhiker's Guide to Galaxy") for its utter stupidity, but this book was a sci-fi of a completely different sort. It wasn't just another novel about green aliens or space travel, it was an extremely clever and deep exploration of gender.

Genly Ai is an emissary of the Ekumen (a union of human worlds) to planet Geth...more As seen on The Readventurer

"The Left Hand of Darkness" turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise for me. I do not read science fiction often and had to abandon my last attempt ("The Hitchhiker's Guide to Galaxy") for its utter stupidity, but this book was a sci-fi of a completely different sort. It wasn't just another novel about green aliens or space travel, it was an extremely clever and deep exploration of gender.

Genly Ai is an emissary of the Ekumen (a union of human worlds) to planet Gethen, or Winter (called so for its extremely cold climate). His mission is to convince inhabitants of the world to join the rest of humanity in exchange of ideas and technology. However Genly is met with some reserve as the decision to join is hindered by alien to him intricacies of Gethenian politics and culture. What makes Gethen so unique and thus so hard for Ai to understand is that it is inhibited by the race of ambisexual (hermaphroditic) beings. All Gethenians have an ability to be both male and female. Most of the time their sexualities lay dormant and awaken only a few days a month during a period called kemmer (mating period). At the time of kemmer each Gethenian can become either male or female. The choice of gender is always incidental. Between the kemmers Gethenians are asexual. This sexual peculiarity makes Gethen quite a subdued race - its inhabitants are not assigned any gender roles, they are not sexually driven or sexually frustrated, they are less violent and ambitious. As the story progresses, Genly learns to understand this strange world a little better and even finds love.

I was extremely impressed by Le Guin's imagination. The world of Gethen was thoroughly detailed and very well realized. Everything about Gethen - the direct effects of Winter's climate and Gethenians' ambisexuality on the social and political order, science, philosophy and even folklore - were developed in the most remarkable way. I was also amazed at how skillfully Le Guin presented romance in the story, because as you can imagine a love story between a man and an ambisexual being (or between two ambisexuals) can go horribly wrong in less talented hands.

My only reservation about the book was the language. It took a few chapters to get used to a huge amount of Gethenian words, names and concepts. At times I had to reread some passages to understand them, because they seemed a little too densely written (my recent obsession with YA literature might be blamed for the softness of my brain too I suppose). But this wasn't so overwhelming as to spoil the reading experience for me.

Highly recommended to those who enjoys quality science fiction.(less)

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Jun 05, 2013 Alex added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

Here are signs that I won't like a book:

- Everyone and everywhere has made-up sounding names.
- There are tankards of ale.

In other words, I don't like fantasy books.

But because I am...what? A jackass? I am trying to submit to this book and cast away my prejudices and just enjoy what this is, and it's...oh, whatever, it's fine I guess. It's very fantasyish. And it's got a little to say about feminism, of course: the big idea here is that the protagonist is a stranger in a strange land where everyo...more

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Jan 21, 2011 William Thomas rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Try as i might, I just could not become deeply involved in this book. I wanted to enjoy it as I enjoy Leguin's personal philosophy as a feminist and anarchist, but the prose was so dry it just broke on every page without the fluidity of a master storyteller. Severely disappointing. I could not have cared less for any of the characters or for the mythology.

There was, however, a break in the story where a fable/myth is introduced to the reader. This... this was what I wanted. IT was as heartbreaka...more

13 likes · like · see review

Ian Dag-dernnit. I'm bummed when a book that clicked with me on every level fails to do the same for another. I know that happens. I just don't like to se...more
Jan 21, 2011 07:07pm

William Thomas Ian wrote: "Dag-dernnit. I'm bummed when a book that clicked with me on every level fails to do the same for another. I know that happens. I just don'...more
Jan 21, 2011 07:33pm

Dec 09, 2010 Valerie added it · review of another edition

Most people tend to focus on 'A Question of Sex', and this makes sense, as it's a central chapter in the book, and the questions permeate the entire story.

A second (or other subsequent) reading might focus on other things--the Handdarata 'un-religion', the focus on shifgrethor and not giving or recieving advice, the concept of controlled hysterical strength, the marvelous advice Genly Ai attributes to his teacher ('When action grows unprofitable, gather information. When information grows unprof...more

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Jan 16, 2009 James rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, science-fiction, nebula-award, sf-group, edminster-group

This is in large part a novel about a friendship -- one that crosses the barriers of gender, race and stars. It tells the story of an envoy, Genly Ai, who in the process of observing the people of the planet Winter ("Gethen" in the language of its own people) is is drawn into a relationship with this strange world and some of the people in that world. Winter is, as its name indicates, a planet that is always cold, and its citizens are neither female nor male: they have gender identities and sex...more This is in large part a novel about a friendship -- one that crosses the barriers of gender, race and stars. It tells the story of an envoy, Genly Ai, who in the process of observing the people of the planet Winter ("Gethen" in the language of its own people) is is drawn into a relationship with this strange world and some of the people in that world. Winter is, as its name indicates, a planet that is always cold, and its citizens are neither female nor male: they have gender identities and sexual urges only once a month. These conditions have affected the development of civilizations on Winter with the most notable effect being that though there are two very different nations (Karhide and Orgoreyn), there has never been a war on the planet. From the opening pages unique aspects of Gethen begin with the notion of time different with a focus on the present that is so intense that each year is always year one with the past and the future redefined the beginning of each year. Genly narrates his situation thus:
"So it was spring in Year One in Erhenrang, capital city of Karhide, and I was in peril of my life, and did not know it."(p 2)
Le Guin explores what life would be like without the dualities, such as summer and winter or male and female, that form our way of thinking: the book's title comes from a Gethen poem, which begins, "Light is The Left Hand of Darkness … " Even the idea of progress is lacking as the society is defined by the concept of presence. However, it is the friendship of Ai with a local resident named Estraven and the resulting courageous actions that flow from that friendship that I found the most appealing aspect of this fine novel. After Estraven is exiled from Karhide Genly visits Orgoreyn as part of his investigation of the planet. His visit does not turn out well in that place and the adventure that ensues is one of peril and discovery for both Genly and Estraven.
The story is moving, in great part because it is beautifully written by an author who would win awards for her writing no matter in what genre she wrote. It is both one of the truly great science fiction novels of the twentieth century and one of my favorites. Harold Bloom wrote in the introduction to his anthology of criticism on the book that "Le Guin, more than Tolkien, has raised fantasy into high literature, for our time". It won the 1969 Nebula Award for Best Novel and 1970 Hugo award, and is considered by some to be one of the first major works of feminist science fiction. (less)

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Jul 13, 2008 Jason Pettus rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)

The CCLaP 100: In which I read for the first time a hundred so-called "classics," then write reports on whether or not they deserve the label
Book #18: The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K Le Guin (1969)

The story in a nutshell:
A highly unusual and controversial book at the time of its release (but mo...more

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Aug 08, 2007 Brent rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who are really into sci-fi

Okay, I admit that on July 16 this book was due back at the library and I returned it thinking I could go back and finish it sometime within the next week but that never happened.

If I ever do pick it up again (which I might do just because I like to finish what I start and not because I really care whether the characters make it across), I'll start with chapter 19: Homecoming. It's not that I didn't like the book or that it's not good, it's just that it wasn't fun for me to read (especially in s...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Tracy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: speculative-fiction, favourites

I love this book. I re-read it a few months ago and fell in love all over again. Science fiction is often an old boys club, particularly at the time this book was written. Re-reading something that you haven't read since you were in your teens often makes you pause and think. A lot of stuff I loved when I was younger doesn't hold up or just plain make me squirm (a lot of Heinlein's books do that to
me, although I still enjoy a lot of his juvie fiction). This doesn't. Make me squirm I mean. I savo...more

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Sep 01, 2008 Jon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, fiction, read-in-my-40s, award-winners, hugo-winner, nebula-winner

I believe if I had read this back in the 70s or even early 80s, it probably would have wowed me. But now, in the 21st century, it was an interesting sociological study of androgyny, but gave me a headache towards the end.

Unfortunately, I never really became attached to the characters - Genly Ai, the Envoy from the Ekumen (and a Terran, born on Earth) nor with Estraven.

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Jun 17, 2008 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this first in high school, and re-read a few days ago. Still, an interesting read. Parts were difficult for me to get into - lots of science fiction terms and words (Gethen), etc.

I checked out the 25th anniversary edition, which had an afterword by Ursula Le Guin. She mentioned that this book was on a list for the top 39 articles of anti-feminism. I can’t understand that at all. She did defend the use of “he” as the pronoun, in 1967, she meant for it (he) to be used for both men and women...more

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May 18, 2008 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

The Left Hand of Darkness is a first contact story. Genry (or Genly) Ai is an envoy from the Ekumen to the world of Gethen. The Ekumen represent a loose federation of humanity, and seem to act as facilitators of exchange between planets. Gethen is a world populated by humans, with a twist: the people are androgynous except for brief periods when individuals manifest both male and female sexual traits (though not simultaneously). There is no sex or gender on Gethen.

The first part of the book invo...more The Left Hand of Darkness is a first contact story. Genry (or Genly) Ai is an envoy from the Ekumen to the world of Gethen. The Ekumen represent a loose federation of humanity, and seem to act as facilitators of exchange between planets. Gethen is a world populated by humans, with a twist: the people are androgynous except for brief periods when individuals manifest both male and female sexual traits (though not simultaneously). There is no sex or gender on Gethen.

The first part of the book involves the slow discovery, by the reader and Envoy Ai, of what this means for Gethen society. One of the back-cover blurbs compares the book to The Lord of the Rings , which is accurate in that both Le Guin and Tolkien use allusions to myths and history to establish a sense of place in their respective realms. Apparently there are other Le Guin novels set in this universe that may elaborate on these hints, but a knowledge of them is not necessary. This probably the strongest element of the novel. Le Guin has rendered intricate, believable alien societies that are still recognizable as human.

One tool she uses, however, was a bit startling. Both Ai and Le Guin rely heavily on Freudian anaylsis to explain Gethen. Because the Gethenians, as the analysis goes, are normally not subject to sexual drives, they have nothing to sublimate. As a result, both individuals and society as a whole are more passive than normal bisexual humans. Leaving aside the question of whether this is an accurate reading of Freud (as I recall, for example, sexual desire is usually sublimated because it is the most powerful, but in its absence other drives might take its place), the virutally unquestioned validity of Freud struck me as odd. Perhaps it is an artifact of when the novel was written.

The Gethen's passivity relates to my major criticism of the book, which is that it's all a bit innocent. Like Star Trek's Federation, the Ekumen seem to have evolved out of sin. They're a perfectly anti-imperialist empire without any will to power at all. Their envoy, Genry Ai, is similarly innocent. I found this especially vexing considering the Freudianism described in the previous paragraph, since despite being stranded among androgynous aliens for years, his own desires never seem to give him any trouble. He's not perfect, but his mistakes are all errors rather than moral failings.

The inhabitants of Gethen are less innocent. To avoid giving anything away, I'll just say that they do some pretty awful things to each other and to Ai. But for the most part there is little maliciousness in their actions. Their sins are sins of omission, which fits with their general passivity, but even these faults are highly circumscribed.

This shouldn't be interpreted to mean I didn't enjoy The Left Hand of Darkness, because I did. It's an enjoyable read, with plenty of stimulating ideas.(less)

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Jan 06, 2008 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Left Hand of Darkness is the third Ursula LeGuin book I have read (I read A Wizard of Earthsea a couple years ago) and her style seems to have a decidedly anthropological bent. The Left Hand of Darkness has very little in the way of story. There is enough narrative to hold the book together, but her purpose is not to tell the story. Rather, she uses the 300-odd pages to explore the social ramifications of a unique geology and biology. The geological question is slightly interesting—what woul...more

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Oct 14, 2010 Kathryn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, aliens

I can not remember ever rating any of Le Guin's works 5 stars. I consider her to be a great writer and I have immense respect for her books, especially considering the decades when the majority of her work was published. I am happy that I finally read this book. I think that a problem I face with Le Guin's stories is that I can never fully connect with her characters. They are almost too forgeign, too alien, so maybe the problem is a lack of imagination on my part, something that Le Guin is not...more

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Apr 14, 2010 René Beaulieu rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Chef-D'Oeuvre, rien de moins, sur la différence, l'identité sexuale, les rapports ethnologie et Science-fiction,le mélange des identités et les choix de qui ont veut etre, confrontation et échange entre sociétés différentes, psychologie fouillée, divinement écrit, beau, apres et magnifiques paysages de neige et glace formidables, constamment en résonance et interaction avec les personnages, qui sont profonds, adultes, sensibles et magnifiquement sentis, réalisés, un livre fondateur de ma propre...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Traummachine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In my experience, Ursula Le Guin always tells a compelling tale. She has that subtle kind of character building, where I don't need a lot of background on a character to feel for them and understand their issues and motives.

This book did a great job of portraying the theme for the cycle -- that despite vast cultural and even physical differences, humanity can find mutual ground and learn to work together. While her premise is very idealist, her stories are not. It's always an uphill battle, and...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, philosophy, reviewed

This the fourth novel of Le Guin's I've read, and I come away impressed with her mind and her talent each time. The beauty of the writing, power of the story, and depth of intellect on display are all of the highest quality. There is no question as to why this won the Hugo and Nebula awards, why it is seen by some as a touchstone of feminist writing, or why it is hailed as a masterpiece of intellectual science fiction in general.

The novel itself is a triumph and I'd be interested to learn more a...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Stefan rated it 3 of 5 stars

I guess that since I mentioned this in my review of The Earthsea Trilogy also by Ursula Le Guin I should most probably write a review for Left Hand of Darkness as well.

Left Hand of Darkness is more of an exploration of human emotion/sexuality than straight Science Fiction. The story centers around an emissary who has been sent to a distant planet, called Winter, in order to convince them that joining the intergalactic federation is a good thing for their planet and their society. The people of...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Olga rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2013, read-in-2011

2013 Review:
I first read this book in 2011 and already then I knew that I would read it again. The timing of me re-reading it wasn't entirely my choice but in the end that didn't matter at all. Because I knew what was going to happen it was as if my brain was free to notice things I didn't notice 2 years ago - the poetry of the language, the beautifully crafted story, the meaning of the folklore and excerpts of historical records inserted between chapters, the echoes of the philosophy of ying a...more 2013 Review:
I first read this book in 2011 and already then I knew that I would read it again. The timing of me re-reading it wasn't entirely my choice but in the end that didn't matter at all. Because I knew what was going to happen it was as if my brain was free to notice things I didn't notice 2 years ago - the poetry of the language, the beautifully crafted story, the meaning of the folklore and excerpts of historical records inserted between chapters, the echoes of the philosophy of ying and yang throughout the book, the notion of true gender equality and its consequences. I noticed how perfectly the ending of the novel mirrored its beginning, recognizing the similarities between a keystone being placed in an arch to connect the separate sides and Therem Estraven being a similar kind of keystone that would link two separate branches of humanity. I finally fully understood the title of the book, which made me feel that I understood nothing the first time around. I realized that this novel isn't really about Genli Ai, even though he is the narrator most of the time. It is about Estraven, his vision for Gethen, and about following a path which others can't even see.
Like many other science fiction novels this book isn't about the planet or the technology, but rather about people, human nature and everything that comes with it, such as patriotism, love, deceit, faith and Truth. Yes, it's a lot to talk about in a book that is not at all hefty, but that is where Le Guin's brilliance lies. She doesn't need 600 or more pages to ask questions, ponder answers, observe and make the reader think. Half of that does very well.
I'll keep this review short because what I really want to tell you is that this is an amazing book, that I'm buying it for my collection and that if you haven't read it yet you should, even if you're not a fan of science fiction.

2011 Review:
At first I didn't enjoy this book very much, it read as a report without much insight into the people of Winter, which in retrospect is what it was meant to be, but as the story progressed and protagonist changed from the Terran Genly Ai to the Karhidish Therem Harth and the format changed from report to diary I became increasingly invested in the story. With protagonists alternating it became something of a dialogue and then the real adventures started and I was hooked. A very nice addition was the lore of the land with legends interspersed between chapters, it helped create an impression of a culture, a history of this planet and gave it a more human aspect. Don't want to give anything away, but I almost cried towards the end and even now, a week and two books later, I'm still thinking about it, the characters and the societies that shaped them. I have a feeling I'll always remember it and will re-read it many times.

Read more of my reviews at Bibliophile's Corner (less)

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Jan 28, 2011 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, fantasy, favorites

(Cross-posted to my science fiction blog, Android Dreamer)

The Left Hand of Darkness is often called a 'feminist' science-fiction novel, but surprisingly is not the story of an intergalactic butch lesbian who travels the galaxy systematically castrating alien men on each planet she comes across. As a matter of fact, there really aren't any women in The Left Hand of Darkness, and only one man to speak of.

Genly Ai is the envoy for Ekumen, an interplanetary alliance that has tasked Ai with trying to...more (Cross-posted to my science fiction blog, Android Dreamer)

The Left Hand of Darkness is often called a 'feminist' science-fiction novel, but surprisingly is not the story of an intergalactic butch lesbian who travels the galaxy systematically castrating alien men on each planet she comes across. As a matter of fact, there really aren't any women in The Left Hand of Darkness, and only one man to speak of.

Genly Ai is the envoy for Ekumen, an interplanetary alliance that has tasked Ai with trying to bring a planet called Gethen into the Ekumen. Called "Winter" by the humans, Gethen is a cold planet, in the middle of an ice age. Its inhabitants seem perfectly comfortable in temperatures well-below freezing, and the question is rarely of "if" it will snow, but more "how much." This is far from the most notable thing about the people of Gethen, as they are all genderless.

Each twenty-six days, when the cycles of the Gethen people reach the stage of needing to procreate, the people of Gethen choose a gender to fit the situation as needed. It is commonplace for Gethen people to have fathered several children, and given birth to several others. Because of their genderless society, there are no perceptions of gender roles, or of masculinity and femininity.

The Left Hand of Darkness has so much to say in its 300 or so pages, and manages to do all of it very well. There are occasional stretches where it seems like nothing is happening, but luckily, Le Guin's prose is nearly flawless, each section reading like poetry. There may be science fiction writers who come close to her ability as a writer, but I don't think that she has an equal. Le Guin could easily rattle off a few hundred pages with no plot or reason whatsoever, and it would still manage to be readable for the quality of prose alone.

Beyond the basic plot of the storyline, the novel is really about Genly Ai and his learning how to deal with a society without gender roles. Early on in the story, he feels the need to assign a characteristic of masculinity and femininity to every emotion and every person he meets, and it takes one person from Gethen for him to begin to open his mind to another race and another culture.

Being the first Hugo Award winning novel written by a woman, The Left Hand of Darkness is immediately notable. Regardless of Le Guin's gender, it is a fantastic novel and well-worth its high rankings among the great works of science-fiction. It isn't a read full of action and explosions, but showcases the best in science-fiction when it comes to message and being a meaningful work.

My initial reaction to The Left Hand of Darkness was that it was quite good, but it is only later that I realized that it is actually amazing. Generally, I can read a great book and in a few weeks time it is gone from my mind. I still remember other books, but none have really stuck with me quite like this. It has been about a year since I finished it and wrote the majority of this review, but I still find myself thinking about this book at least once or twice a week. If someone were to ask me to read a single science fiction novel that encapsulated everything that is good and wonderful about sci-fi, I would give The Left Hand of Darkness serious consideration.(less)

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About Ursula K. Le Guin

As of 2011, Ursula K. Le Guin has published twenty-one novels, eleven volumes of short stories, four collections of essays, twelve books for children, six volumes of poetry and four of translation, and has received many awards: Hugo, Nebula, National Book Award, PEN-Malamud, etc. Her recent publications include the novel Lavinia, an essay collection, Cheek by Jowl, and The Wild Girls. Forthcoming...more As of 2011, Ursula K. Le Guin has published twenty-one novels, eleven volumes of short stories, four collections of essays, twelve books for children, six volumes of poetry and four of translation, and has received many awards: Hugo, Nebula, National Book Award, PEN-Malamud, etc. Her recent publications include the novel Lavinia, an essay collection, Cheek by Jowl, and The Wild Girls. Forthcoming in 2012, Finding My Elegy, New and Selected Poems. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ούρσουλα Λε Γκεν (Ursula Kroeber Le Guin, Berkeley California, 21 Οκτωβρίου 1929 - ) Πολυγραφότατη, πολυδιάστατη και πολυβραβευμένη Αμερικανίδα ποιήτρια και συγγραφέας του χώρου της «Επιστημονικής Φαντασίας» αλλά και των παιδικών διηγημάτων.

ΠΡΩΤΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΑ
Γεννήθηκε στο Μπέρκλεϋ της Καλιφόρνιας από τον ανθρωπολόγο Άλφρεντ Κρέμπερ (Alfred L. Kroeber) και την συγγραφέα Θεοδώρα Κρέμπερ (Theodora Covel BrownKracaw Kroeber), σπούδασε στο «Radcliffe College» και εν συνεχεία Φιλολογία (γαλλική και ιταλική αναγεννησιακή λογοτεχνία) στο «Πανεπιστήμιο Columbia». Το 1953 παντρεύτηκε στην Γαλλία τον ιστορικό Σαρλ Λε Γκεν (Charles A. Le Guin), που έγινε καθηγητής Γαλλικής Ιστορίας στο «Portland State College» του Όρεγκον και απέκτησε μαζί του 3 παιδιά.

«ΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΟΝΙΚΗ» ΚΑΙ «ΜΕΣΑΙΩΝΙΚΗ» ΦΑΝΤΑΣΙΑ
Από τα μέσα της δεκαετίας του 1960 συνέγραψε περισσότερα από 100 διηγήματα (που εκδόθηκαν σε 8 τόμους), 3 συλλογές δοκιμίων, 5 ποιητικές συλλογές, 19 νουβέλες και 13 παιδικά βιβλία, αλλά είναι περισσότερο αναγνωρισμένη για τα έργα της στον τομέα της «Επιστημονικής» και «Μεσαιωνικής» Φαντασίας, όπου συγκαταλέγεται ανάμεσα στους σημαντικότερους σύγχρονους δημιουργούς (πιο γνωστά στην Ελλάδα είναι τα βιβλία της «Ο Αναρχικός των Δύο Κόσμων», Αθήνα, 1992 και «Το Αριστερό Χέρι του Σκοταδιού», Αθήνα, 1990, 1994). Το 1990 αιφνιδίασε το αναγνωστικό κοινό της όταν πρόσθεσε δίχως προειδοποίηση στην έως τότε τριλογία του «μαγικού» «κύκλου της Γαιοθάλασσας» («A Wizard of Earthsea», «The Tombs of Atuan» και «The FarthestShore», 1968 - 1972) το σκληρό «Τεχανού», για το οποίο έλαβε το Βραβείο Nebula.(less)

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“The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty: not knowing what comes next.” — 123 people liked it

“To learn which questions are unanswerable, and not to answer them: this skill is most needful in times of stress and darkness.” — 118 people liked it

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