The Left Hand of Darkness: A groundbreaking feminist literary masterpiece

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'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,

Reviews

A jewel of a story

Profuse and original . . . Graceful and accomplished

Haunting lucidity . . . clarity of thought . . . depth and richness . . . Intellectual muscularity and honesty . . . entrancing lyricism wedded to an open-eyed realism

Delicate yet daring, narrated with immense gravitas . . . Ursula Le Guin's masterpiece - Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels

Has all the depth, impact and scope of Dune . . . A unique and compelling love-story that rates with the very best of Sturgeon

Author Bio

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