But, like the US Constitution (one of my favorite utopian documents) it seems to have the necessary flexibility and groundedness that allow it to adapt to changing circumstances and survive. You feel that her anarchist society actually could work it doesn't work all the time, and there are things about it that you see are going to cause problems. Le Guin has thought about it a lot, and taken into account the obvious fact that people are often selfish and stupid. You read them, and at best you shake your head and wish that people actually were like that or, more likely, you wonder how the author can be quite so deluded. Most utopias are irritating or just plain silly. She is presenting a genuinely credible anarchist utopia. On the surface, the first thing you notice is the setting.
There's more than one layer, and I, at least, didn't immediately realize that. So, what is it she's saying that's so important? I've read the book several times since I first came across it as a teenager, and my perception of it has changed over time. Ursula Le Guin is saying some pretty important stuff here.
They're going to fix that eventually, so why not get in ahead of the crowd? It's not just a terrific story it might change your life. Somehow, probably because it comes with an SF sticker, it isn't yet officially labeled as one of the great novels of the 20th century. The Hainish Cycle reflects the anthropologist's experience of immersing themselves in new strange cultures since most of their main characters and narrators (Le Guin favoured the first-person narration) are envoys from a humanitarian organization, the Ekumen, sent to investigate or ally themselves with the people of a different world and learn their ways.įirst of all: if you haven't already read The Dispossessed, then do so. Her interest in non-Western philosophies was reflected in works such as "Solitude" and The Telling but even more interesting are her imagined societies, often mixing traits extracted from her profound knowledge of anthropology acquired from growing up with her father, the famous anthropologist, Alfred Kroeber. She was known for her treatment of gender ( The Left Hand of Darkness, The Matter of Seggri), political systems ( The Telling, The Dispossessed) and difference/otherness in any other form. Her recent publications include the novel Lavinia, an essay collection, Cheek by Jowl, and The Wild Girls. Le Guin published twenty-two novels, eleven volumes of short stories, four collections of essays, twelve books for children, six volumes of poetry and four of translation, and has received many awards: Hugo, Nebula, National Book Award, PEN-Malamud, etc.
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