The Left Hand of Darkness

'A rich and complex story of friendship and love' GUARDIAN

'It's a giant thought experiment that's also a cracking good read about gender' Neil Gaiman

'Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new'

Two people, until recently strangers, find themselves on a long, tortuous and dangerous journey across the ice. One is an outcast, forced to leave his beloved homeland; the other is fleeing from a different kind of persecution. What they have in common is curiosity, about others and themselves, and an almost unshakeable belief that the world can be a better place.

As they journey for over 800 miles, across the harshest, most inhospitable landscape, they discover the true meaning of friendship, and of love.

Readers love The Left Hand of Darkness:

'This book overwhelmed me with how good it was, and how different it ended up from what I expected . . . a deep story of humanity, love, betrayal, alienation, and acceptance' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'The world is so rich in detail that it becomes an adventure to explore it, and the nuanced character dynamics keep the pages turning . . . a fabulous exploration of fluid gender and sexuality' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'This novel is just the right balance of nuance, world-building and philosophical musings that culminate into a staggeringly empathetic work . . . a great work of feminism' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'A masterful and visionary story, one of the most beautiful SF novels I have read' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'A landmark in the field of science fiction literature . . . This is a story about loneliness and need for closeness as well' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Ursula K. Le Guin asks, what if gender were not fixed, but serially changeable? . . . The Left Hand of Darkness is a book about journeys, both literal and metaphorical. It is that rare and precious thing: an original and mind-opening book' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Winner of Nebula Award 1970 (UK)

“It's a giant thought experiment that's also a cracking good read about gender”

Set against a background of state-fuelled anxieties about the loss of power and national identity ... With immense subtlety, Le Guin describes the changes in a relationship that almost founders on misapprehensions and mistakes ...The Left Hand of Darkness is a rich and complex story of friendship and love - GUARDIAN

Like all great writers of fiction, Ursula K. Le Guin creates imaginary worlds that restore us, hearts eased, to our own - BOSTON GLOBE

No single work did more to upend the genre's conventions than The Left Hand of Darkness ... Writers as diverse as Zadie Smith and Algis Budrys have cited [it] as an influence - PARIS REVIEW

Ursula K. Le Guin is one of the finest writers of our time. Her books have attracted millions of devoted readers and won many awards, including the National Book Award, the Hugo and Nebula Awards and a Newbery Honor. Among her novels, The Left Hand of Darkness, The Dispossessed and the six books of Earthsea have attained undisputed classic status; and her recent series, the Annals of the Western Shore, has won her the PEN Center USA Children's literature award and the Nebula Award for best novel. In 2014 Ursula Le Guin was awarded the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. She lived in Portland, Oregon, until she passed away in January 2018.

Read more at http://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/le_guin_ursula_k

'A rich and complex story of friendship and love' GUARDIAN 'It's a giant thought experiment that's also a cracking good read about gender' Neil Gaiman 'Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new' Two people, until recently strangers, find themselves on a long, tortuous and dangerous journey across the ice. One is an outcast, forced to leave his beloved homeland; the other is fleeing from a different kind of persecution. What they have in common is curiosity, about others and themselves, and an almost unshakeable belief that the world can be a better place. As they journey for over 800 miles, across the harshest, most inhospitable landscape, they discover the true meaning of friendship, and of love. Readers love The Left Hand of Darkness : 'This book overwhelmed me with how good it was , and how different it ended up from what I expected . . . a deep story of humanity, love, betrayal, alienation, and acceptance ' Goodreads reviewer, 'The world is so rich in detail that it becomes an adventure to explore it, and the nuanced character dynamics keep the pages turning . . . a fabulous exploration of fluid gender and sexuality ' Goodreads reviewer, 'This novel is just the right balance of nuance, world-building and philosophical musings that culminate into a staggeringly empathetic work . . . a great work of feminism ' Goodreads reviewer, ' A masterful and visionary story , one of the most beautiful SF novels I have read' Goodreads reviewer, ' A landmark in the field of science fiction literature . . . This is a story about loneliness and need for closeness as well' Goodreads reviewer, 'Ursula K. Le Guin asks, what if gender were not fixed, but serially changeable? . . . The Left Hand of Darkness is a book about journeys, both literal and metaphorical. It is that rare and precious thing: an original and mind-opening book ' Goodreads reviewer,

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