The Left Hand of Darkness

Written by Ursula K. Le Guin and Charlie Jane Anders

Narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan and Michael Crouch

The queen of science fiction’s trailblazing novel about a planet full of genderless beings

A groundbreaking work of science fiction, The Left Hand of Darkness tells the story of a lone human emissary’s mission to Winter, an unknown 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. Exploring questions of psychology, society, and human emotion in an alien world, The Left Hand of Darkness stands as a landmark achievement in the annals of science fiction.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 18, 2024
• ISBN: 9798891785106

Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (1929-2018) was a celebrated author whose body of work includes twenty-three novels, twelve volumes of short stories, eleven volumes of poetry, thirteen children’s books, five essay collections, and four works of translation. The breadth and imagination of her work earned her six Nebula Awards, seven Hugo Awards, and SFWA’s Grand Master, along with the PEN/Malamud and many other awards. In 2014 she was awarded the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and in 2016 she joined the short list of authors to be published in their lifetimes by the Library of America.

Reviews for The Left Hand of Darkness

[grahzny · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Like many LeGuin books, it's subtle at times, a little overbearing at times, and very beautiful, personal, and touching. There's a reason this is one of her most famous books: it's thoughtful and well-done.

[gwendydd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is about Genry, a man sent to a planet to make first contact with a the humans there, who have evolved to be genderless except for brief periods when they are fertile and take on physical gender characteristics. The plot of the book is about Genry's attempts to convince the people of the planet to join a multi-planet alliance, and about the political machinations of different cultures as they try to figure out what to do with Genry. But the story is also about gender, and the difficulties Genry has in thinking about people without gender.This book is both more relevant than ever, and also showing its age more than ever right now. As parts of our culture are becoming more accepting of non-binary genders, and other parts of our culture are fighting that change, it is interesting to read about a culture that is completely free of the gender binary. Genry's reaction is sometimes shockingly sexist: he sees weak people as feminine, smart people as masculine, and never really questions those assumptions.Like a lot of sci-fi of its era, this book can be a little tedious, but there is a lot going on here. Le Guin's worldbuilding is fascinating and thorough: not only does this world have very different sexuality, but Le Guin has created political systems, mythologies, histories, and entirely different attitudes about prophecy. This isn't a particularly easy read, but it is well worth the effort.

[jonbrammer-788089 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Le Guin has a berth in the science fiction hall of fame, largely on the strength of novels like Left Hand. In her introduction, she acknowledges that all science fiction is allegorical, and that hers is especially so. It's up to the reader to unravel the implications for our own world.

She does not condescend to the reader through exposition. Instead, we are dropped into the world much like the protagonist, Genry Ai, is as envoy from the interplanetary alliance Ekumen. It takes most of 300 pages to really get your bearings - there is a lot of Winter-specific terminology that is not always fully explained.

So it ends up being both a challenging and impressionist reading experience. I think all alien encounter stories are post-colonial in nature, going back to War of the Worlds. The Ekumen is a more enlightened form of first contact, sending only one envoy with a backup plan. The androgynous people on Winter are a sly commentary on the way gender influences politics and war on Earth.

[judygibson-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A lot of deep thought went into crafting this profound examination of the impact of sexuality on social development and expectations. Although an intriguing first-contact story, it is the examination of our human society that has the most impact.

I had read this long ago and apparently completely forgotten it. I remembered nothing except for the small detail that on this planet people had not developed flight because there were no creatures that flew, so it never occurred to them.

I may need to re-read all of Le Guin.

[ahs7wolfy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Classic science fiction where an emissary from the federation of human inhabited planets attempts to negotiate with representatives of another planet to join them. Although this new world is also populated with people of human origin, they have taken a different evolutionary path in order to survive in the harsh environments. The main difference being sex/gender. Apart from a few days each month they don’t have one until they pair off when one becomes female and the other male. Initial overtures from the emissary, Genly Ai, had gone well but when his main supporter to the leader of the largest community is discredited and banished Genly decides it might be more prudent to try an alternative..Things don’t go as planned there either.Originally published in 1969 this book is classed as a seminal work of the feminist movement as it challenges the reader to examine their gender bias where even the main character predominantly thinks of the androgynous people as male. It’s a beautifully written book and the world-building is superb. Not only is this a first-contact story but it also has political intrigue at both settlements the protagonist attempts to negotiate with but there’s a real sense of adventure and camaraderie as the story progresses. An excellent read well worth its classic status.

[mialro_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Left Hand of Darkness takes place on the planet Winter, where everyone is genderless, except during their mating periods when one individual becomes male and one individual becomes female in order to reproduce. An Earth man goes to Winter to try to convince the planet to join the space federation of other planets, but there's a lot of cultural barriers to overcome. A very interesting look at gender and the lack thereof, from the 1970s(!!!). Lots of fascinating Tao influence as well. A classic for a reason, highly recommended.

[kslade-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting science fiction about gender, etc.

[chrisriesbeck · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A classic. Things I noted from a reread after many decades. First, how much later the trek across the Ice comes in the book, and how brief and uneventful the kemmer portion of that trek is. Those are the parts you remember and discuss when talking about the book, but they're a very small element. Second, how much of the book was a dry run for the social engineering and discussion that filled The Dispossessed. Third, how male-centered the book is. The choice to use "he" for the gender-fluid inhabitants is made by the conservative narrator. It's a choice he comes to realize as misleading, but yet it persists. I wonder how this book would read if the default were "she" as in Leckie's Ancillary Mercy. Fourth, and related, how little progress was assumed in the role of women in society. There's one short scene where Genly Ai from the Ekumen, supposedly an advanced futuristic culture, is asked about women, and he's is as clueless as any character from a 50s SF pulp novel. To me this is the part that has aged badly, but it could be argued this book along with many others was part of the movement that led to changing the future. Highly recommended of course.

[alexrichman_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hasn't aged a day! The beauty of good sci-fi, eh? Bit too much trekking for my liking but a thought-provoking premise brilliantly realised.

[castlelass · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Left Hand of Darkness is a seminal book of science fiction, part of Le Guin’s Hainish Cycle series, but it can be read as a standalone. On the surface this book is about a solitary human envoy, a representative of a league of worlds, attempting to convince nations of an isolated planet to join its membership. Underlying this premise is a many-faceted tale involving storytelling, fear, trust, gender, isolation, politics, cultural barriers, loyalty, friendship, and communications. It employs two narrators, Genly Ai, the envoy, and Estraven, the Prime Minister of one of the nations of the planet Gethen, also known as Winter due to its icy environment. These two individuals gradually learn to understand each other despite their differences. The envoy must also confront his personal biases, which threaten his mission.

The world-building is superb. Le Guin has created a planet with a unique history, culture, ecosystem, spirituality, and mythology, and has populated it with ambisexual residents. She captures the essence of what it would be like to live on this planet. The writing is elegant and rich in detail. The author inserts myths, legends, and field notes into the narrative, which provide an anthropological framework for understanding the Gethen civilization. It is almost as if the reader is accompanying the envoy as he traverses this remote planet, learning the social structure, values, and ways of life.

The reader will have to do a bit of work to fully enjoy this novel, as it contains a good amount of unfamiliar terminology. Although the context provides enough information to eventually figure it all out, I wish it had included a glossary of terms. I found a list of seasons, months, and days of the week in the appendix, unfortunately too late to employ it. The envoy journeys to many locations on Gethen, so a map would also have been beneficial.

I can see why this book is considered a classic. It is science fiction but more oriented toward interpersonal interactions than technology, so it will appeal to readers outside the genre. The themes and concepts are just as relevant now as when it was published 50 years ago. It encourages tolerance, understanding, and acceptance of cultural differences, and provides much food for thought along the way.

[seriousgrace · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

To read the classic Left Hand of Darkness is to discover a completely different way of thinking. To understand just how advanced Le Guin's vision was in 1969 you need to consider at that time, in 1969, where society stood in regards to technology, human sexuality, and cultural constraints. When she describes electric vehicles with their super quiet hum and the gender fluid planet of Winter/Gethen, it feels very 21st century. Interestingly enough, the role of "pervert" on Gethen is assigned to what we would consider normal (assigned) gender today. I find that extremely interesting. As an aside, is it still true that Earth is freewheeling and without tact? I think so. Mr. Ai (artificial intelligence?) is on a mission to bring an alliance between Gethen and Ekumen. The only thing I have in common with misogynist Ai in that I also like sour beer. His "friendships" are based on need and slim tolerance.The message of Left Hand of Darkness is the tiny spark of hope despite all the darkness that surrounds us. It is worth rereading over and over again. As both authors of the foreword and afterword of the anniversary edition mention, there is something new to discover each time.

[hefruth · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ursula Le Guin’s 1969 book, The Left Hand of Darkness, is often lauded as the first book to address transgender ideas, but that claim is spurious.What is accurate to say is that Le Guin created a world wherein humans, and she does clearly identify them as humans, are neither female nor male (called ambisexuality by Le Guin) until they reach a stage called kemmer. Kemmering is when the environment around the individual, including the people the individual is with at the time, stimulates the hormonal levels of the person to create either a female or a male being—there are no other forms of gender on the planet Winter where the story is set, and sex never occurs without kemmering.Le Guin provides readers with several clues about her own personal attitudes about gender. The two main characters are purposely named. The Earthling visiting the planet in order to convince Winter to join a kind of planetary federation called the Ekumin (based on the Christian word “ecumenical,” which denotes a “universal” form of Christianity) is named Genly Ai, but many of the Winter people, who call themselves the Gethenians (like the biblical Gethesemane garden which is a place of great mental or spiritual suffering, perhaps), is every inch the “gentleman,” even if his constant state of maleness is considered a perversion on this planet (one Gethenian points out his surname is like a scream). Some people of Winter cannot pronounce “l”s, so he becomes Genry, perhaps the “general” or “generic” human.The second primary character is Harth rem ir Estraven. Since children born to the people of Winter stay with their birth mother for a time before going to a state school, children are clearly identified by the kemmered female who bore them, which is what the “rem ir” is understood to indicate. Harth indicates the Hearth for Le Guin, and she uses the term liberally throughout the story to indicate the birthplace that is tied to the kemmered female producer of the offspring. This view of the Hearth as the focus of female power is ancient. The given name, Estraven, is also a clue for readers that this character will at some point in the story become a female, with emphasis on “estrogen” and “estrus,” which is when a female animal comes into heat. In fact, the point is made quite emphatically that, when kemmer comes upon an individual, the need for sex precludes all other needs, so that Gethenians in kemmer must have heterosexual intercourse and their bodies are driving them to do so. Only once does Le Guin mention incest in the story, but it is late in the story and her meaning is never clarified, but it stands to reason that if kemmering comes upon individuals suddenly and is affected by those around them, often stimulating others present to undergo kemmering themselves, incest would occur.After Estraven rescues Ai from a concentration camp in the second country where the alien Ekumenical Envoy traveled, they must flee back to Estraven’s home country via a heavily glaciated route. Naturally, Le Guin has Estraven go into kemmering during this long trip, and, because Estraven’s company is constantly a male, Estraven morphs into a “soft” female, highly attractive to Ai. Previously in the book, Le Guin had made much of Estraven’s short stature, but she clearly sets up a “weak female” totally at the mercy of a “strong male” scenario, but the two resist the temptation to copulate. Clearly, Le Guin does not mean to indicate that two males alone would have felt sexual attraction to each other. It is only when Estraven morphs into the “softer” female version of himself (Le Guin constantly uses male pronouns to refer to the people of Winter, which was common in the 1960s) that sexual attraction occurs at all. Le Guin clearly means to enforce a heterosexual attraction as natural, since there is no mention whatsoever in the novel of anyone on Winter ever engaging in homosexual sex.The most interesting part of the novel, however, is when Genly Ai visits a remote village to observe the process of prophecy handed out by the Foretellers of the Handdara by asking them to tell him if Winter will join the Ekumenical, since the one government he has been dealing with is reluctant to admit there are other worlds in the universe. Ai suspects that, if the ritual is not a sham, the prophets are using a form of mind reading, something Ai himself can do, to project into the mind of the person asking for the prophecy in order to determine what answer that person wants to hear. He is somewhat startled to learn that the ritual, which he is allowed to watch, involves the sexual excitement between a Pervert, or a Gethenian in constant kemmer so only ever one gender, and a person actually in kemmer. This sexual excitement, described as “the empathic and paraverbal forces at work, immensely powerful and confused, rising out of the perception and frustration of sex, out of an insanity that distorts time, and out of an appalling discipline of total concentration and apprehension of immediate reality,” is what powers the prophets’ ability to see into the future, but the ceremony draws Ai into it because of his own mind reading powers.This scene is interesting because it demonstrates Le Guin’s own struggles to comprehend the dichotomous world she has created. She refers to both the Pervert and the person in kemmer as “he”s, implying a homosexual attraction, but she remains vague enough to not appear to sanction such an attraction. Le Guin clearly thought deeply about living in our dichotomous world because Winter becomes an extreme form of it. The writer goes so far as to explain how this clearly binary perception dictates the Gethenians’ perception of time, providing us with an appendix list of the names of the days of their 13-day week, which are opposed in the second half of each 26-day month with their “un-“ or “od-“ names, so that the first day of the week is “Getheny,” and the fourtheenth day of the week is “Odgetheny.”In the end, then, The Left Hand of Darkness is not a novel about transgendering experiences on another world, but it mirrors our world as it might have been had women not been a permanent part of it. While Le Guin might have tried to demonstrate that women are equal to men in this binary way, she unwittingly reinforces gender stereotypes and the idea that heterosexual views of life are the only “normal” ones.

[psalva-706031 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was beautiful. I really loved the relationship that developed between Genly Ai and Estraven. This is one of the best sci-fi novels I've ever read.

[nickduberley · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the best fantasy books ever

[steller0707 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant!

[jamestomasino · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book deserves a better rating but it was absolutely ruined by a terrible narrator.

[leo_depart · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Intriguing speculations about gender, and the complex effects of the "first contact" on a civilisation. At the same time a story about friendship, love and communication set in a hostile, late ice age environment. Fascinating descriptions of the two native religions (Handdarrata & Yomeshta) and the concept of "Shifgrethor" a way of social interaction based on "Prestige, Face, Place, the pride-relationship".

[tytania-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book really took off in the second half. No spoilers, but Estravan and Ai bond over an arduous polar trek. All the lead-up, with the laborious exposition, inscrutable politics, and an awful stint in a labor camp, is worthwhile once this part of the story gets going. And don't let Ai's misogyny sour you early in the novel; he'll get woke.

[neurodrew · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have not previously read this novel, although I have heard of it during my extensive reading of science fiction.  This is the story of The Envoy, who is from the Ekumen, or the universe of worlds populated by humans, to Gethen (Winter). The Envoy is the first person on a new planet to announce that they have come from another world.  The world was already explored by investigators who remained disguised as natives, and determined that the world was ready for contact.  Initially, The Envoy, Genly Ai, is under the patronage of Estraven, the prime minister of the King of Karhide, one of the main countries on Gethen. Gethenians generally appear to be male, but, during the few days each month of kemmer, they can be female or male, and the genders can switch depending on the closeness of other individuals in kemmer, so that the King gives birth during the story.  Genly is strictly male, and stronger than the ordinary Gethenian.  He leaves Karhide for Orgoreyn, a neighboring nation that is more like a North Korean communist state, but run by shifting factions in a council of 33.  They imprison the Envoy, and Estraven rescues him from a prison farm, and they travel accross the major northen ice cap to escape.  This part is a long endurance tale, and a tale of growing friendship.  At the end, Estraven is betrayed by the powers in Karhide, and Genly Ai calls his ship to land to begin the contact. The novel anticipates many current themes, about gender pronouns, electric vehicles, climate change, and socialism, quite remarkable since it was first published in 1969.  The travel over the ice seems a bit separate than the rest of the political intrigue, but it does serve to highlight the thoughts of the Envoy and Estraven as they try to understand each other.

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

adult sci-fi (book club selection). I had to skim through parts, and I couldn't keep all of the names/vocab straight at times. Premise was interesting, but just not something I could get into.

[evano_21 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Why have I waited 50 years to read this?

[neil_luvs_books · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this when I was a university student back in the 1980s. This book was an eye-opener for me and made me completely rethink my assumptions about gender and sexuality. This is a truly beautiful book.

[wickenden-285487 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite science fiction novels, read many years ago.

[tonifgmamtc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I like science fiction and like the idea of the androgynous race of people. The plot is cool, with the man trying to bringing them into the group of planets and trying to understand each other. I liked it.

[katybee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Imaginative ideas and unforgettable world-building on a frigid winter planet. Not the easiest novel to tread through but the societal complexities and gender-bending themes are completely fascinating.

[lethalmauve · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An undeniable game changer with its treatment of gender and sexuality, Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness is not without its glaring flaws. Primarily, it does not delve deep enough with hermaphroditism. And as much as it normalises this, even challenges the earthling belief that it's a disorder, and suggests a better society with sexual ambiguity and androgyny it creates more questions (** "To learn which questions are unanswerable, and not to answer them: this skill is most needful in times of stress and darkness." I know, I know) rather than answers (could it be that the acceptance of incest contributed to this?). But the best part of it all is that biological sex does not determine the opportunities and privileges of its people. There is only monogamy and there is no concept of re-marrying. There is no rape either since its people, I guess much like penguins, have their "mating season", also called kemmering (occurs monthly). Parenting is not very complicated since the ridiculous Freudian theories do not exist and fit. Of course despite not having any choice with their sex, as anyone could be a man / woman during kemmering, there is still the usage, though not widely, of "hormone derivatives".All these concepts are quite fascinating and most of it are narrated by an envoy from Terra, Genly Ai, who is on a mission to persuade the countries of cold and bleak planet Gethen to join the intergalactic alliance. At the present, in real life, spectrum of sex and gender continue to evolve and curiously, I find Genly Ai's ignorance (or must I say chosen unawareness?), say of intersex people in his own world, a little questionable. But other than this, The Left Hand of Darkness is also a tale of deceit and revenge. Dismayingly but unsurprisingly, even in foreign worlds the political air is tense. And though the people of Gethen never experienced wars, anything that's different, alien, still poses a threat. It triggers fear that often results in disastrous decisions and unalterable repercussions thereby the politics also becomes muddled with self-interest. Social issues persist and the judicial system is also fraught with corruption and abuse of power in different ways. It seems to be a much better world but it is not perfect.** "A man who doesn't detest a bad government is a fool. And if there were such a thing as a good government on earth, it would be a great joy to serve it." (p213)With its fascinating world-building and heartwarming camaraderie between one native of Gethen, Estraven, and Genly Ai that flourishes against the harsh climate conditions and struggle for survival, it does suffer in telling a narrative littered with its own jargons which I did not care enough to remember. Regrettably, with its distinct exploration of intriguing themes removed, it is rather predictable.

[grandpahobo_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There is so much introspection and contemplation of the human psyche that this hardly feels like a science fiction story. Its more of an adventure/personal discovery story which happens to be set on a different planet. I expect to read this again in a year or so, just to find what I missed the first time.

[jzacsh-533759 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely loved the world, the story told, the characters, the politics, and the cultural dives.

Three stars because I just found that it was so difficult of a delivery, that it took me way too long to read. I think it's because the first half of the book was so lacking in activity, and heavily focused on abstract descriptions of things by the main narrator. Even the last half of the book which could be seen as action packed (crazy journey over glaciers), felt slow to read.

[jessethek-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

First read when published, just as powerful on reread.

[thorold_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a very interesting idea, and I'm pretty sure it would have struck me as exciting and radical if I'd read it soon after it came out, but it is — as Le Guin herself pointed out — very much limited by the time it was written in and the background of the author. The planet on which the story is set is inhabited by people who don't have binary gender, but neither the author nor her narrator, who seems to be from a future version of our own world, has the imaginative and linguistic tools that would allow her to write about such people without making them into men who occasionally display "effeminate" characteristics. Male pronouns all the way, and male everything else, really. So that, most famous, aspect of the book is rather a let-down when you come to it fifty years on. Apart from that, it develops into a great Cold-War escape-from-the-Gulag story, eventually, and an interesting study of friendship between two characters of backgrounds completely alien to each other, but that is only about halfway through the book, because so much time and effort is needed to tell us where we are and why and how it all works, right down to the local version of not-Buddhism. Undoubtedly high-quality writing, but it didn't really win me over to the genre.