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The Left Hand of Darkness | 
 enlarge | Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
Publisher: Ace Trade
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
Buy New: $4.29
You Save: $10.71 (71%)
New (37) Used (28) Collectible (5) from $3.73
Avg. Customer Rating:  184 reviews
Sales Rank: 9059
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.2 x 1
ISBN: 0441007317
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780441007318
ASIN: 0441007317
Publication Date: July 1, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: New Book. Fast Shipping. May have small remainder mark.
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Amazon.com Review
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
Product Description
Winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards for Best Science Fiction Novel of the Year
A groundbreaking work of science fiction, The Left Hand of Darkness tells the story of a lone human emissary to Winter, an alien world whose inhabitants can change their gender. His goal is to facilitate Winter's inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. But to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of the completely dissimilar culture that he encounters. Embracing the aspects of psychology, society, and human emotion on an alien world, The Left Hand of Darkness stands as a landmark achievement in the annals of intellectual science fiction.
"As profuse and original in invention as The Lord of the Rings." --Michael Moorcock
"What got to me was the quality of the storytelling. She's taken the mythology, psychology--the entire creative surround--and woven it into a jewel of a story." --Frank Herbert
"Evocative." --The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
"An instant classic." --Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"[A] science fiction masterpiece." --Newsweek
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| Customer Reviews: Read 179 more reviews...
 Revisit this Sci-Fi classic if you haven't read it since college November 17, 2008
The intriguing notion that our gender dictates not only our personal life, but the society we create and our political systems was quite a radical thought for me in the 1970s when I first read this book in college. I was immersed in an on-going sexual revolution and a feminist awakening. Ursula Le Guin's groundbreaking science fiction novel about a planet of individuals who are both ambi-sexual and asexual was a revelation for me.
Re-reading the novel thirty years later just underscores what a classic this work is, and how great literature can inspire different thoughts and reactions all through one's life.
When I read the book at twenty, I was not a mother, nor a wife, nor even very politically astute. I identified almost entirely with the narrator of the novel, Genly Ai, who is a heterosexual and a young, unmarried man. The political situations in the book seemed very clear-cut to me -- one country was like the Evil Soviet Union, one was like a Brothers Grimm fairy tale kingdom. The people of Winter were gender neuters except for the few times a year they entered the "kemmer" state, when they became either male or female and felt an overwhelming need to procreate. The line "The mother of several children could be the father of several others," stuck with me.
Now I am the mother of three teenager daughters, the wife of a politician and a professional in my own right. I still find Le Guin's icy world of Winter fascinating, but for very different reasons. For one thing, I find myself identifying not so much with the narrator of the story, but with the character of Lord Estraven. Estraven is dealing with a political situation which is delicate and complex, much like his/her sexual being. The novel is no longer so clear-cut for me, but is a far richer reading experience because of the life experiences I have now undergone.
I highly recommend re-reading this classic for yourself.
Le Guin's Masterpiece September 28, 2008
I have read Ursula Le Guin's other novels(the Earthsea series and The Dispossessed). I thoroughly enjoyed everything I had read by her, so I expected big things coming into this book. Reading the term "feminist science-fiction", I was a little worried I would see a lot of male-bashing.
The story begins at a slower pace. The author creates such an elaborate and effective atmosphere of this foreign world, that I felt extremely lost. Not lost as in that I didn't understand what was going on, but lost in that I her description was so immersive that I was a stranger to this exposed world. The story picks up pace as the plot develops, but the author is very adept at maintaining readers.
To avoid sounding like a book critic, the story was simply excellent. I can't ensure you'll love it, but I'm inclined to think you will.
Can't put it down September 23, 2008
Another lovely, beautifully written story from Le Guin. I'm 3/4 done with it, and I think you should read it yourself to find out the plot. None of the synopses I've read do it justice.
 I guess I'm a selective SF reader.... July 30, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I recently began to delve into science fiction, and wanted to read some books that were considered "classics" in the genre. Sadly, I couldn't get past page 50. The story had potential to be really exciting, but it had taken a BORING bent. Decades ago, this was probably good stuff, but for THIS CENTURY, I think readers are looking for something more to get their juices flowing. Like I said, I didn't get past page 50, but it didn't seem like there was going to be any mystery, comedy, dueling, suspense, or excitement whatsoever.
ZZZZzzzzzzzzzz.
 This is not sci-fi July 2, 2008
1 out of 10 found this review helpful
In short, if you are looking for a sci-fi book, keep looking. This is simply a fictional novel.
Touching superficially on space travel and life on icy worlds does not immediately qualify as science fiction. The bulk of the book occurs in a remote world called Winter where a pre-space-travel civilization deals with the issues of first contact. There is an immediate immersion into the inner workings of that society. If you are interested in exploring topics such as what would happen if men gave birth or if people could change genders, then this book may be for you (and don't get any funny ideas, the only sexual experimentation will be the romantic interludes of portly, middle-aged men). I was greatly bothered by the obvious holes at the heart of the story. The central character is badly tortured by the locals even though he means well and comes from a technologically advanced civilization. This could have been avoided, but he refuses to land his ship and prove his identity to the local authorities. Why? Well, simply because there have been problems with that approach in the past. That's it, you just have to take the author's word for it! I happen to have read Vernon Vinge's "A Fire Upon the Deep" right after this book. Now that's real sci-fi dealing with first contact between races at different stages of development. As sci-fi books, I consider that an 8 out of 10 and Le Guin's a disappointing 2.
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