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Summary: One of the great classics of social science fiction.
Review: Gender-bending is a frequent ingredient in speculative fiction, and The Left Hand of Darkness is, in my opinion, a masterpiece of this theme. It alters the distinctions between feminine and masculine, of course, but also illuminates all human relationships and interactions. Venus Plus X, by Theodore Sturgeon, deals with the same issues but in a more science-fictional, less lyrical way
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Summary: A "must have" for anyone's SF book collection
Review: The wonder of this story is how well it has remained current, up against the sexual upheavals since its publication. For a story almost as old as I am (and I remember Univacs), it never loses its ability to make one ponder, question and rethink everything related to the roles placed upon us by our gender. More than an exploration of "who's the female this time," this work truly defines the words "speculative fiction" - the words are familiar, the concepts are not - and that is where the fun begins. It's not about heterosexuality vs. homosexuality, but the roles intrinsic to gender and how they shape us as people. It'll make you think twice about buying those blue striped sheets when you find out that baby somebody is expecting is a boy. Or the itchy, frilly dress if it's a girl
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Summary: well developed, billiant,classic, but a little weak in end
Review: i liked the boo
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Summary: One of my favorite novels by one of my favorite authors.
Review: Human encounter with an extremely human like race of aliens, except that they are hermaphroditic
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Summary: Intricate, fascinating and deeply moving
Review: What a book! I just read "The Left Hand of Darkness" for the first time, but I know it won't be the last. What I loved most about it were the characters, especially Estraven, the beautiful, powerful descriptive language that Le Guin uses, and the way she keeps a subtle tension humming throughout. There is always a wonderful sense of more going on than what is on the surface. Reviewers that focus on the anthropology miss the big picture. As an immigrant I especially enjoyed Le Guin's presentation of the obstacles that the uncharted cultural waters of etiquette and commmunication in a different society poses to a newcomer. But finally I feel it is less about differences (between cultures, species or genders) and more about simiarities: about the universal experiences of loyalty and treachery, trust and deception, belonging and exile, fear and courage, loneliness and friendship: the painful and beautiful truths that all human beings share.
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Summary: One of the most extraordinary books every written?
Review: I first read this book over 30 years ago, and 2 worn out copies later, have lost count of the number of times I've re-read it. It is an extraordinary book, which for me, raised a whole number of questions about how our society was formed, how it works and how it fails to work. As a femail scifi reader this was one of the first books I read that called me to question. So many stories were 'hard core', being about technology and the impact it was likely to have. Nothing wrong with that, but this is so much more. For me, one of the key moments in the story is when I realised that Genli was a man. I guess being female, and identifying with the character, it simply hadn't occured to me that he was a him! This made the story spring into relief - an impact that was barely less striking for the second and subsequent readings. It takes a scifi book to tackle a subject of gender impact from such a novel angle, and causes the kinds of questions other more books more obviously about this cannot raise. It cleverly puts the reader into a position of observer of the difficulties of dealing with gender issue that are quite different from those we experience, and thus causes similar questions to be raised about our own gender issues. And contrary to many other critics - I do think it is a good read as well! This is a book that should be on the reading list of every school.
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Summary: Ursula LeGuin is not really a sci-fi writer!
Review: If you pick up a LeGuin book expecting weird aliens and space battles, you'll be disappointed. She doesn't write sci-fi, what she does is to say to herself, "what if the world was THIS way?" and then explore that idea. Since her novels don't fit in any other genre, people put them in the sci-fi or fantasy slot. But that misses the point. "The Left Hand of Darkness" is LeGuin saying "what if people were hermaphrodites? What would be the same and what would be different about society?" (Just as "The Disposessed" is her saying "What if people had no concept of ownership?") LeGuin also has a fascination with Arctic and Antarctic exploration, so she makes her world a cold one and has her protagonists escape death by sledding for months across glaciers. This is definitely not a book for people who want to be entertained without having to think, or people who have no interest in the dynamics of human interaction. I have read everything she has written, but this one remains my favorite. LeGuin is one of the best writers in America. There is never a point in any of her books where you say "wait a minute, why did he do that?" Her characters are always fully brought to life and consistent. Her use of descriptive language borders on poetry. I saw and felt everything the characters experienced, and it made me think about my own assumptions about being male or being female.
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Summary: A novel I am drawn to over and over again
Review: This is a fantastic piece of science fiction. Ursula LeGuin imagines a whole new future civilization and new cultures that interact in realistic ways. This is the book that first opened my eyes to the deep ways that gender roles and gender relationships shape culture.
This is a must-read for any serious lover of science fiction as well as for any student of anthropology. Truly astounding
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Summary: A great and thoughtful read
Review: Just wonderful, but what else can one expect from Ursula Leguin. Like the best in speculative fiction, she creates a fantasy world, in this place the planet of Winter, and takes you there as if it was real. But more than that, she creates wonderfully believable and likeable characters. A true pro, I heartily recommend this book to spec fiction and literary readers alike.
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Summary: Excellent
Review: This is a very good sci-fi book that explores some anthropology based speculations. Ursula K Le Guin is a top notch sci-fi/fantasy author, and I think that this is an exemplary novel. You should definately pick it up and check it out.
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