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The Left Hand of Darkness (Hainish Cycle, #4)

  • Book
  • 1969
  • #ScienceFiction
Ursula K. Le Guin
@UrsulaKLeGuin
(Author)
www.goodreads.com
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4.09/5 115.1k ratings
5 Recommenders
6 Mentions
1 Ask
3 Collections
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 choose - and change - th... Show More

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 choose - and 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.

(From Goodreads)

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Number of Pages: 304

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Neil Gaiman @neilhimself · Jul 18, 2022
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Three SF books I love....
Emily Temple @knownemily · Apr 11, 2013
  • Curated in 21 Books Written by and About Women That Men Would Benefit From Reading
All right, I'm cheating with this one a little, since it can't be properly said to be about women at all—instead, it's about a human man who travels to an alien planet populated by a race of beings who are genderless, or rather unisex, able to assume either binary gender during reproduction. The novel is beautiful and filled with timeless philosophical insights as to the nature of humanity and society—a definite classic I'm happy to make an exception for here.
Christy Tidwell @christymtidwell · Sep 14, 2014
  • Curated in American Science Fiction (Ph.D. reading list)
Johanna Haas @Johanna · Dec 27, 2022
  • Curated in To Read List
Jay Bhattacharya @DrJBhattacharya · Feb 25, 2023
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A Le Guin book I haven't read, Mike. Thank you for the suggestion! The Left Hand of Darkness is still one of my favorite books.
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  • Johanna Haas
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    To Read List
    4 curations
  • Christy Tidwell
    • Collection
    American Science Fiction (Ph.D. reading list)
    84 curations
  • Emily Temple
    • Collection
    21 Books Written by and About Women That Men Would Benefit From Reading
    21 curations
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  • Jash Dholani
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    What are some must-read science fiction novels?
    83 answers
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