#TheLeftHandOfDarkness | Reviews of The Left Hand of Darkness in English Books| Hashreview

#TheLeftHandOfDarkness

The Left Hand of Darkness is a science fiction novel by Ursula K. Le Guin, published in 1969. The novel was immensely popular; in 1970 it won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards as the year's "best novel", according to convention participants and Read More..

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Hash title	The Left Hand of Darkness
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Description	The Left Hand of Darkness is a science fiction novel by Ursula K. Le Guin, published in 1969. The novel was immensely popular; in 1970 it won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards as the year's "best novel", according to convention participants and science fiction writers, respectively, and established Le Guin's status as a major author of science-fiction.The novel is part of the Hainish Cycle, a series of books by Le Guin set in the fictional Hainish universe, which she introduced in 1964 with Rocannon's World. It was preceded in the sequence of writing by City of Illusions and followed by The Dispossessed, although Left Hand is the last work in the chronology of the Hainish cycle. The novel follows the story of Genly Ai, a native of Terra (Earth), who is sent to the planet of Gethen as an envoy of the Ekumen, a loose confederation of planets. Ai's mission is to persuade the nations of Gethen to join the Ekumen, but he is stymied by his lack of understanding of Gethenian culture. Individuals on Gethen are "ambisexual," with no fixed gender identity, a fact which has a strong influence on the culture of the planet, and creates a large barrier for Ai, a male raised on Earth.Left Hand was among the first books published in the feminist science fiction genre and the most famous examination of androgyny in science fiction. A major theme of the novel is the effect of sex and gender on culture and society, in particular through the relationship between Ai and Estraven, a Gethenian politician who trusts and helps him. The novel touched off a feminist debate when it was first published, over depictions of the ambisexual Gethenians. The novel also addresses the theme of religion, by contrasting the two major religions on Gethen, as well as exploring notions of loyalty and betrayal.In addition to the Hugo and Nebula awards, a poll in Locus magazine covering novels ranked Left Hand third behind Dune and Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End (1963). In 1987, Locus magazine ranked it number two among "All-Time Best SF Novels", after Dune, based on the Locus Poll & Survey of subscribers. It has been reprinted more than 30 times, and received a highly positive response from reviewers. In an introduction to a critical anthology edited in 1987, Harold Bloom stated; "Le Guin, more than Tolkien, has raised fantasy into high literature, for our time".
Description	The Left Hand of Darkness is a science fiction novel by Ursula K. Le Guin, published in 1969. The novel was immensely popular; in 1970 it won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards as the year's "best novel", according to convention participants and science fiction writers, respectively, and established Le Guin's status as a major author of science-fiction.The novel is part of the Hainish Cycle, a series of books by Le Guin set in the fictional Hainish universe, which she introduced in 1964 with Rocannon's World. It was preceded in the sequence of writing by City of Illusions and followed by The Dispossessed, although Left Hand is the last work in the chronology of the Hainish cycle. The novel follows the story of Genly Ai, a native of Terra (Earth), who is sent to the planet of Gethen as an envoy of the Ekumen, a loose confederation of planets. Ai's mission is to persuade the nations of Gethen to join the Ekumen, but he is stymied by his lack of understanding of Gethenian culture. Individuals on Gethen are "ambisexual," with no fixed gender identity, a fact which has a strong influence on the culture of the planet, and creates a large barrier for Ai, a male raised on Earth.Left Hand was among the first books published in the feminist science fiction genre and the most famous examination of androgyny in science fiction. A major theme of the novel is the effect of sex and gender on culture and society, in particular through the relationship between Ai and Estraven, a Gethenian politician who trusts and helps him. The novel touched off a feminist debate when it was first published, over depictions of the ambisexual Gethenians. The novel also addresses the theme of religion, by contrasting the two major religions on Gethen, as well as exploring notions of loyalty and betrayal.In addition to the Hugo and Nebula awards, a poll in Locus magazine covering novels ranked Left Hand third behind Dune and Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End (1963). In 1987, Locus magazine ranked it number two among "All-Time Best SF Novels", after Dune, based on the Locus Poll & Survey of subscribers. It has been reprinted more than 30 times, and received a highly positive response from reviewers. In an introduction to a critical anthology edited in 1987, Harold Bloom stated; "Le Guin, more than Tolkien, has raised fantasy into high literature, for our time".

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Name	The Left Hand of Darkness
Name
Authors	Ursula K. Le Guin
Authors
Translator
Translator
Genre	Science fiction novel
Genre
Series	Hainish Cycle
Series
Number in series
Number in series
Language	English
Language
Country	United States
Country

PUBLISH

Story timeline
Story timeline
Pages	286 (first edition)300 (most modern editions)
Pages
Media_type	Print (paperback original; hardcover also 1969)
Media_type
Isbn
Isbn
Oclc	181524
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Publisher