Ursula Le Guin's landmark
novel tells the story of Envoy Ai and his mission to the planet Gethen. Ai
seeks to convince the inhabitants of the planet to join in interplanetary
federation of human worlds. However, he must navigate the treacherous internal
politics and intrigues of the nations of Gethen.
The inhabitants of Gethen
are unique among human worlds in that they are hermaphroditic, having no gender
most of the time except during the time of kemmer, when they can assume either
gender. Le Guin incorporated this feature as a thought experiment to ask
the reader to think about how gender and gender relations affect and influence
society and politics. As such, this book is often classified as an example of
feminist literature.
To me, it also read as a
critique of government and political systems that put short-term political
goals ahead of the long term and bigger-picture good. Again and again, the
politician characters' attempts to one-up each other delay and imperil Envoy
Ai's mission.
The writing in this book
is beautiful, and fans of science fiction with a literary spin will enjoy it
very much.
While some science
fiction is focused on the science or adventure aspects of the story, this book
puts more emphasis on emotion and philosophical aspects. It may not be to
some sci-fi fans' liking in that sense.
The story was overall
engaging, but dragged during the climatic journey in the second half of the
book. The accounts of survival in a vicious ice bound climate have a very
Shackelton-esque feel which didn't hold much excitement for me. Otherwise I
found the book enjoyable for the high quality writing and thought-provoking
aspects.
No comments:
Post a Comment