Wednesday, December 07, 2005
book report: The Left Hand of Darkness
The Left Hand of Darkness
by Ursula K. LeGuin
This book is an account by Genly Ai, a representative from the Ekumen, and his mission to the planet Gethen (aka Winter). Ai's goal is to convince the people of Winter to become members of the Ekumen, which is a federation of planets that trades in thoughts and ideas. They have technology that provides faster-than-light communication, but not faster-than-light travel, so material trade is impractical. The major cultural difference between Ai and the people of Winter is their sex - Ai is a human male, while the Gethenians are normally neither male nor female (or they are both?). They undergo a sexual cycle called kemmer, during which they change into either a male or female role for the purpose of procreation.
At the outset, Ai is a guest of the state, but following some court intrigue and some hasty decisions by the (possibly mad) king, he finds himself on the run with a former court official, Lord Estraven. They have to make a long, hard journey across the most rugged terrain on Winter, in theh wrong season. During the journey, they learn a lot more about each other and their respective cultures.
There is something very opaque about Ms. LeGuin's writing. I know I've talked about this before, as I've worked my way through her back catalog. While I fully recognize her mastery of the language, and her undeniable creativity, and her ability to allude to modern human societal issues using the allegory of an alien culture... I have trouble mustering an emotional response to this book. It's all very thinky. That said, I'm glad I read it. The mental experiement of imagining a culture where there is no sexism because everyone's sex is the same is a worthwhile one.
by Ursula K. LeGuin
This book is an account by Genly Ai, a representative from the Ekumen, and his mission to the planet Gethen (aka Winter). Ai's goal is to convince the people of Winter to become members of the Ekumen, which is a federation of planets that trades in thoughts and ideas. They have technology that provides faster-than-light communication, but not faster-than-light travel, so material trade is impractical. The major cultural difference between Ai and the people of Winter is their sex - Ai is a human male, while the Gethenians are normally neither male nor female (or they are both?). They undergo a sexual cycle called kemmer, during which they change into either a male or female role for the purpose of procreation.
At the outset, Ai is a guest of the state, but following some court intrigue and some hasty decisions by the (possibly mad) king, he finds himself on the run with a former court official, Lord Estraven. They have to make a long, hard journey across the most rugged terrain on Winter, in theh wrong season. During the journey, they learn a lot more about each other and their respective cultures.
There is something very opaque about Ms. LeGuin's writing. I know I've talked about this before, as I've worked my way through her back catalog. While I fully recognize her mastery of the language, and her undeniable creativity, and her ability to allude to modern human societal issues using the allegory of an alien culture... I have trouble mustering an emotional response to this book. It's all very thinky. That said, I'm glad I read it. The mental experiement of imagining a culture where there is no sexism because everyone's sex is the same is a worthwhile one.
Labels: book reports, science fiction
